


Moon Dancer

by Tenkku



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Anal Sex, Drama & Romance, Forced Prostitution, Love Triangles, M/M, Public Sex, Sexual Content, Sexual Slavery, Slavery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-06 05:06:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 37,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14634720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tenkku/pseuds/Tenkku
Summary: Kidnapped and sold into slavery, Nagisa and Haru find themselves reunited with old friends in their new Master's home. Trouble comes when old and new friends become entangled in a web of desire, jealousy, sexual tension, and guilt. Friends become enemies, enemies become friends. Nagisa must help to keep their friendships together, even though he is struggling with his own feelings for Rei, another slave and Sword Dancer. Nagisa thought he would never find love, and Rei may not return his feelings no matter how hard he tries. Nagisa and Haru cannot help that they are glamourized prostitutes much to the dismay of Rei and Makoto. Branded as slaves, they do not have a choice in who they are with or what happens in their life, which makes falling in love a dangerous game to play. The odds are against them, and there is no justice for slaves in the Sultan's Empire.





	1. The Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> Note #1: Okay, this story will consist of multiple pairings and love triangles. I know some readers may not like that or even find it offensive, so I’m putting that up front now. Also, the multiple characters, pairings, and their conflicts may get confusing, so before each chapter, I will put a quick Refresher List for the readers that may need it. The main pairing focus of this story is ReixNagisa with MakotoxHaru being the strong second. Other pairings will have their own page time as well.
> 
> Note #2: Yes, this story will have one or two prominent OC’s. However, they will be ‘Unseen Characters.’ For those who may not know, an Unseen Character is a silent person(s) mentioned but not seen by the reader/audience. They help to advance the plot and action of the story, but their appearance on the page/screen is unnecessary. The easiest example is Nagisa’s parents in the show; they are spoken of and show up at the swim meet but you don’t see them because it’s not needed.
> 
> Note #3: I will not demonize any characters, but they may do some things that may make them ‘bad’ for the sake of plot. 
> 
> Main Romantic Pairings: ReixNagisa, MakotoxHaru
> 
> What the Refresher Will Look Like:  
> Refresher: 
> 
> Rin: Loves Haru, is jealous of Makoto 
> 
> Sosuke: Loves Rin, jealous of/hates Haru 
> 
> Aii: Loves Rin, jealous of Haru and scared of Sosuke 
> 
> Momo: Loves Aii, jealous of Rin 
> 
> Seijuro: Wants Nagisa, jealous of Rei

** Chapter 1: Reunion ** ****

Nagisa pushed aside the dark curtain of the covered wagon to look out upon the neatly lined rows of the vineyard. Beyond the sea of grapes lies the Purple Lotus Villa, the most significant producer of wine in the Empire, and his new home. His previous Villa Master has passed away, and Nagisa once again found himself upon the slavery auction block. Despite his life as a slave, Nagisa always managed to see the good in everything, and he looked at this new chapter in his life as an adventure. 

A particularly rough bump jostled the wagon violently, which woke up his friend and fellow slave, Haru. Haru came with him when they returned to auction, and their old master left instructions that they only sell as a pair. Nagisa did not get the chance to thank his former master for keeping them together. It's never easy to be torn away from someone you know and cast off to strangers. Besides, Haru doesn't know it, but he needs Nagisa to keep him on track and to speak for him. What their old master loved about them is their difference in personality with Nagisa being fun and entertaining while Haru appealed to those who like the stoic, silent type. 

Nagisa couldn't be sure what their new Villa Master at the Purple Lotus has planned for them, but he doubted it would be much different from what they've had before. Aside from his standard work as a slave, Nagisa has trained in the art of seduction to entice desire and lust in men through dancing. Nagisa is in the slave class of Moon Dancer, a pleasure slave that dances and entertains only at night. Haru is in the slave class of Water Dancer, performing both day and night in a body of water from villa pools to fountains to oases. Nagisa loves to watch Haru swim, especially when Haru wears the sheer colorful sashes around his waist to mimic a merman's tail. Nagisa remembered the first few times he had to save Haru from downing when the sashes tangled. But now Haru moves with such precise skill and grace that it never happens anymore. Nagisa likes to swim as much as Haru does, though he'll keep his hip scarf and ankle bells when he performs instead. 

“Did you get enough sleep, Haru?” Nagisa asked him. 

Haru silently shrugged his shoulders. 

“We’re almost at the Purple Lotus Villa. You should see all the grapes! So many!” Nagisa pulled the curtain aside to show Haru the vineyard. “Maybe we’ll be allowed to pick grapes and make wine, too!” 

“You should stick to farming during the day,” Haru suggested. “It’s not safe for you to be around wine.” 

Nagisa grinned as he knew what Haru is referring to. He enjoys indulging in wine whenever he can, though if he has too much, then a wild side comes out. The first time it happened, their late master demanded that he and Haru play together for his delight. Nagisa didn't want to, but after a few goblets of wine, he did as commanded, though he doesn't remember much of it. Haru does, however, but his friend will never speak of it. Haru preferred to smoke the calming flower, which only puts Nagisa to sleep. Sometimes Haru smoked too much of the calming flower, not that Nagisa blamed him. Their lives are not always easy deal with, and sometimes one needs a little bit of outside help.

“Wine makes things easier for me,” Nagisa said. “Just like the calming flower smoke helps you to get through nightly visitors.” 

Haru didn’t reply but lazily poked his fingers through the chain links of his ankle bindings. 

"I'm sure we'll make new friends here," Nagisa said, trying to lighten Haru's mood. He crawled over to Haru to sit beside him. "Do you know anything about our new master?" Haru always listened and learned while Nagisa's mind drifted away to daydream about something else. 

"He's confined to his bed and a wheeled chair most of the time," Haru said. "I don't think he can do much in the way of the bed, which is a relief, but that means he'll use us for entertaining guests. And he doesn't come out much from his chambers." 

"Hm," Nagisa tapped his finger on his lip. "I wonder if he's nice? Our last master was nice," 

Haru gave a little snort. “But his son wasn’t. We don’t know who this master has in his family.” 

Nagisa shuddered at the memory of that scrawny bastard who took pleasure in beating slaves for sheer enjoyment. Since their bodies were needed to be flawless when performing, they were never beaten black and blue like others. The bastard was rough during sex instead. Part of their lives as slaves is to fake sexual pleasure with men, and Nagisa has been doing it for so long that he doesn't know if he can tell the difference between real and pretend. 

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” Nagisa looked through the curtain again to see the villa coming closer into view. They are almost there. 

* * *

They were taken through the garden to the slaves’ quarters when they arrived. Nagisa stumbles on his ankle chains a few times while admiring all the flowers and fruit trees. Haru had wandered over to a large fountain, prepared to get in when a guard redirected him back to Nagisa. Nagisa asked one of the guards leading them if slaves are allowed in the garden sometimes, but the guard refused to speak to him. 

The slave's quarters at Purple Lotus is bigger than their old one by far. Unlike the other slaves, Nagisa and Haru came at very high prices because of their talents, which entitles them to have separate, private rooms. No doors, of course. Just three walls and big enough for a bed and a dresser. Nagisa's room is next to Haru's with the only difference being their beds are on opposite sides.

Slaves can interact and mingle within the quarters when they aren't working. Nagisa's top priority is to meet as many other slaves as he can, introduce himself and Haru, and make friends. He's learned the hard way how important it is to make friends with other slaves. In Nagisa's view, and Haru's as well, slaves should stick together and help one another because they are all suffering the same life. But that's not how this life is, and if you don't make friends, you make enemies. There is rarely any justice for the slave-on-slave crime. 

“The Captain of the Guard will be in to see you both shortly,” said one of the guards while another unlocked the shackles from their ankles. 

Nagisa let out a contented sigh while rubbing the reddened skin. He wished guards would believe him when he says he won't run away, so there's no need for chains. There is nowhere safe for a slave that has escaped from their owner because they are all branded with the same symbol; a small crescent moon. Both he and Haru have the brand on their inner thighs marking them as pleasure slaves. Regular slaves have the brand on the back of their necks. Battle entertainment slaves have the brands on their chests. Anyone can ask a person to strip down to check for these symbols. If an escaped slave is caught, the punishment is usually a form of torturous humiliation or in extreme cases, execution. Nagisa would rather be pain-free and alive being taken care of than struggling to survive and living in constant fear. 

“Thank you, sir.” Nagisa is always polite to the guards. He tells Haru all the time that you get more bees with honey, but Haru still won’t listen. When the guards left, Nagisa heard his stomach rumble and whined that he’s hungry. He stood from the bed and peeked out at the open room of slaves, looking for signs of food. It may be too early for the evening meal. 

“You’re always hungry,” Haru said. 

“And you forget to eat,” Nagisa countered. “You should be thankful that I look out for you,” he wagged his finger at Haru who didn’t respond. 

Nagisa grew bored waiting for the Captain of the Guard to come, and just as he was going to leave to explore the area, he bumped into someone. Nagisa looked up to see a young man with red hair. At first, Nagisa wasn’t sure if who he is looking at is the person he thinks it is; someone he knew a long time ago. When the man smiled to show sharp teeth, Nagisa gasped and said, “Rin! It’s you!” Nagisa launched himself into Rin’s arms. 

“Nagisa? And Haru, too?”

Haru stood up from the bed when he saw Rin but did not run to him as Nagisa did. 

"I can't believe it's really you!" Nagisa rests his chin against Rin's bare chest to beam up at his old friend. "We thought we'd never see you again! You look so strong in these guards' clothes, Rin!" Nagisa crouched to pull at the black puffy pants. "Big change from the farm clothes, huh?" Nagisa poked at the tip of the red pointed shoes too. His eyes landed on the scimitar at Rin's wide red belt. "Can I see it?"   

“No, you can’t,” Rin placed his hand on the hilt and turned it away from Nagisa’s grasp. “What are you two doing here?” Rin asked, then corrected himself. “Wait, I know why you’re here,” he smiled and pulled Nagisa into a hug. “Who would have thought you’d end up in this place! And Makoto is here, too.” 

Nagisa grinned and looked back at Haru. He can see the stoic look on Haru’s face had turned to one of surprise with a hint of excitement. “Can you believe this, Haru? Our old friends are here! See how positive thinking pays off?” 

“Where is Makoto now?” Haru asked. 

“Nice to see you after so long too, Haru.” Rin snorted. “He’ll be by shortly with your new clothes.” 

Nagisa couldn't believe their luck. Their old friend Rin is Captain of the Guard, which means their life here will be easier to endure. He couldn't wait to see Makoto, and he knows Haru wants to see him more than anything. The four of them grew up together in the same town. Nagisa was a year younger than them and would follow the trio around until they accepted him into the group. They would make up games to play and go swimming in the nearby oasis when there wasn't work to do. And then came the night the Empire raided their town and they were split up. Nagisa and Haru were taken together, as were Makoto and Rin. Nagisa always wondered what had happened to his friends, and he's relieved to know that they are alive and well. He tries not to think about that awful night, but occasionally it pops into his head. 

“I’m hungry, Rin. When do we all eat?” 

“Ah, some things never change!” Rin ruffled Nagisa’s hair. “The evening meal will be soon, don’t worry. Since you two are entertainers, you get a bigger meal than the others.” 

Nagisa shook his head. "Mm-mm. I'll take the same kind of food everyone else gets," Another rule he's learned while living among other slaves. He'll only indulge in food and wine if he is with masters or clients because then his excuse is he has no choice. But when in the slave quarters, it's best to blend in with everyone else. He already may have a black mark against him because he has a private room. Sometimes he gets gifts from clients, and if possible, he'll share it with other slaves to keep their loyalty. 

“Are you sure?” Rin raised an eyebrow towards Haru. “What about you, Haru?” Haru shrugged his shoulders. “Talkative as ever.” 

Nagisa laughed. “Isn’t it funny how some things never change?” 

"Yes, it is. We'll have to catch up on the past another time. I should run through your duties and explain some things. You both were bought for entertainment, mainly for feasts and gatherings at this villa. If requested, you'll have to spend time with visitors. Privately." 

“No time with the Master of the Villa?” Nagisa asked. 

"Yes, you will have time with him. On occasion. The Master is a powerful man, but only in wealth, trade, and politics. His health isn't the best, so we don't see him out of the chambers often. Makoto's position here is the Master’s Chamber Slave. Makoto doesn’t mind his job. He’s always been the ‘mother hen’ of our group.” Rin chuckled. “Of course, the Villa Master is the one who has the true and final say in all decisions. But most of the time, you will take orders from Aii, who reports to me, and is the lead slave here in the quarters. Any questions or concerns are to be brought to him first. Anything he can’t solve or handle comes to me. He reports to me at the end of the day with all happenings. I’ll introduce you both shortly. You’ll also find Sosuke patrolling the slave quarters. He also reports to me. If you need something in particular and I'm not available, you can ask Sosuke. Then there's Momotarou, who you can call Momo, and he patrols this area at night. His older brother, Seijuro, is the villa's steward and one of the Empire's generals. I report to Seijuro. His assistant, Rei, is a slave but the Villa Master highly respects him, as does Seijuro. Rei's a Sword Dancer, Nagisa. You'll probably perform with him on occasions." 

“Wow. That’s a lot of people to know,” Nagisa said, counting on his fingers while trying to remember everyone's names.  

"It's simple," Rin started. "It goes in this order; Master of the Villa, Seijuro, me, Sosuke, Momo, and Aii. Is that better?" 

Nagisa turned to Haru, silently asking Haru if he understood. Haru nodded, and Nagisa didn't have to worry about remembering everyone's names and ranks now. Haru can do that for him.  

"Rin? Are you in here?" A soft, calm, and familiar voice had gripped both Nagisa and Haru's attention.  

Nagisa would bet everything he had on knowing that voice belonged to their friend, Makoto. The young man who entered carrying a pile of colorful clothing is indeed Makoto, still taller than them, with the same soft brown hair and green eyes. For a slave, he dresses in layers of clothing with a small turban. Slaves usually wear less clothing and rarely are permitted to wear headgear like a turban. It proves that the Villa Master favors Makoto above other slaves.  

"I've brought-" Makoto paused in mid-sentence when he saw Haru. "H-Haru?"  

"Makoto?" Haru stared back at him. 

Makoto's eyes lit up with both tears and happiness as he abandoned the clothes in Nagisa's arms to rush over to Haru, sweeping him into a hug. "Haru! It's really you!" 

Haru carefully returned the hug. It has been ages since he last embraced someone by choice.  

"Look, we're all together again!" Nagisa said.  

"Yes, and what an odd place for us all to be; the slave quarters," Rin added, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched Haru and Makoto's warm reunion.  

Nagisa's eyes widened a little at Rin as he realized that his friend has not changed over the years. Even after all this time, Rin still carries feelings for Haru. Nagisa can see it behind those red eyes. Rin had always been jealous of the special closeness that Makoto and Haru share, and it appeared to remain true to this day. Nagisa can only hope that they can all be adults about this. He didn't think Rin would ever turn on them, but that was back when they were children. Rin is an adult now with power over the three of them. 'No, that wouldn't happen,' Nagisa said to himself. 'Rin would never do that to us.' 

"Haru...I never thought I would see you again!" Makoto said when he pulled away from Haru. "I can't remember the last time I was so happy!" Makoto chuckled a little and wiped the tears from his eyes. 

"Hey, Makoto," Rin started. "They need to dress and be shown around the villa. We can all sit together later tonight and catch up." 

"But, Rin," Makoto took Haru's hand. "You know how much I've missed Haru." 

"Yes, and you still have work to do for the Villa Master before the night is out." 

Makoto sighed and turned back to Haru. "I promise I'll be back tonight, okay?" He smiled and gave Haru another hug. "I'm so relieved to see you safe and well, Haru. I've missed you so much!" Haru returned the hug, and that is all Makoto needed from him. He didn't need Haru to talk. Even after all this time, Makoto can still read Haru's mind, and he knows that Haru is just as thrilled to see him too; he only has a hard way of expressing it. But Makoto knows. 

"Hey, Makoto! What about me?" Nagisa needed to break the tension he felt radiating off of Rin. "I've missed you, too, you know!"  

Makoto laughed and embraced Nagisa, who had a surprisingly firm squeeze for someone so little. Nagisa was nuzzling his cheek into Makoto's top like an affectionate kitten. Makoto couldn't help but ruffle the luscious blonde locks. 

"And I've missed you, Nagisa. You've grown since the last time I saw you." 

Rin smirked. "Yeah, but not by much." 

Nagisa stuck his tongue at Rin. 

"I'll see you both tonight," Makoto said and turned back to Haru. "Right, Haru?" 

Haru nodded.  

Rin put his arm around Makoto's shoulders and said, "I'll let Aii know you're here and he'll show you around. Nagisa, try not to wander off or touch anything, okay?" 

Nagisa smiled and put his hands behind his back. "I promise not to touch a thing!" 

As Rin led Makoto out of the room, Nagisa went to the clothes to look through them. He had neglected to ask Makoto or Rin who will wear what color, but Nagisa figured the harem pants of purple and vest of pink are his. In the past, he's always dressed in one of these two colors. The light blue vest and dark blue pants are most likely Haru's.  

Nagisa handed the blue outfit to Haru, and when they began dressing, he said, "I thought you'd be more excited to see Makoto," 

Haru put on the vest first. "I am happy to see him. I was just shocked." He paused in putting on the harem pants. "I thought I'd never see him again." 

"We thought we'd never see either of them again after that day," Nagisa answered and finished dressing. "I can't wait to sit down with them tonight! We have so much to catch up on! We might be up all night!" 

Another voice came from the doorway. "Nagisa and Haru?"  

Nagisa turned to see a young man with short silvery hair and blue eyes. They were about the same height, and just like Makoto, this man wore a fair amount of clothing.  

"Ah, you must be Aii, right?" Nagisa asked. 

"Oh. Yes, that's me," Aii replied. "How did you know?" 

"Rin told us." 

"Right! Um, well, just so you know, " Aii placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. "I'm the boss of the slaves here in this place! I make the rules, and you follow them. Understand?" Aii let out a yelp when Nagisa's hands suddenly gripped his cheeks and squished them.  

Nagisa laughed and said, "You're just so cute, Aii! I could eat you!"  

"W-what?!" Aii tried to pull away, but then he was embraced.  

"It's nice to meet you, Aii," Nagisa said. "I hope we can be friends!" 

Aii, a little taken aback, only stared at Nagisa when the other pulled away. Nagisa was smiling patiently at him while waiting for an answer, though Aii still didn't know how to respond. "Um...okay? I guess so." 

Nagisa clapped his hands together. "Great! Rin said you would show us around, and then tell us where we can eat!" 

Aii gasped. "Oh! Right! The tour! Yes, if you'll follow me," 

Nagisa took Haru's hand in his. "We're ready to go, so lead the way!" 

* * *

After a tour of the villa, (which is the largest and overly lavished one they've ever seen) Nagisa and Haru sat in Rin's room, eating their meal, and waiting for their friends. The slaves' food, though a slightly bland stew, tasted better than what they usually ate. Since they weren't dining with the other slaves, Nagisa accepted the finer food for his status. Haru didn't have a care either way. Nagisa babbled on to Haru about how exquisite the villa is with its high mosaic walls, lavish garden, and massive bathhouse.  Haru only completed on the bathhouse because of its extensive marble pool and tiny indoor waterfall. Nagisa had to stop Haru from jumping into the water earlier. His friend is only ever comfortable and peaceful when in water.  

"How's the food?"  

Nagisa and Haru turned to see Rin standing in the doorway with Makoto behind him. 

"It's delicious!" Nagisa said. "Best I've had in a long time!" 

Rin picked up a red pillow to place it next to Haru and sat beside him. Makoto did the same, sitting on the opposite side of Haru. Haru looked at them both and said nothing, though Nagisa saw Haru's knee subtly slide over to press against Makoto's. Nagisa smiled as he watched Rin and Makoto drill Haru with questions. It was nice to see the three of them together again, even if he felt a little left out. They always included him regardless if either Rin or Makoto wanted to be with Haru.  

They didn't know that Nagisa saw them that day. It was two days before the raid on their village. Nagisa had left his house early that day crying after his three sisters played a joke on him. He was searching for any of his friends to comfort him. That was when he saw Haru and Makoto behind one of the houses. Nagisa remembered being in awe at the sight of Makoto kissing Haru on the lips. Haru had looked offended at first, but then he blushed and gave Makoto a little kiss back. Nagisa thought back then that they were too young for kissing; with him being only ten and the other three eleven. And then, later in the day, he saw Rin alone with Haru, and the same thing happened. Only this time, Haru was offended by the kiss. Nagisa couldn't hear what they were saying, but it had Rin stomping off with a temper. As time passed, Nagisa found the courage one day to ask Haru what happened between him and Rin. Haru said that he told Rin he wasn't interested, and never mentioned that he preferred and liked Makoto.  

Rin must have figured that out on his own, not that it was difficult. Anyone could see back then that Haru and Makoto were very close. They were always holding hands. Makoto is too naïve to realize that Rin likes Haru also. Nagisa would have to oversee his three friends to avoid any riffs that may come between them. Nagisa admitted to himself that he is jealous of Haru for having two handsome men who honestly desire him. Nagisa always has admirers; it's part of his job as a pleasure slave, yet none of them ever loved him. They loved the idea of him; a pretty little thing that can dance and fake the desire to be with them. Rich older men liked to pretend that someone like Nagisa is interested in them, both sexually and emotionally. It's all an act, and the clients even know it. That's why Nagisa has given up on ever hoping to find love in this life. At the end of the day, he is still a slave and a whore who has nothing to offer anyone in exchange for freedom and love. The only way a slave can be free is if a person of higher standing buys their freedom.  

He's learned to cope with the truth and instead fights the depression deep inside by looking at all the good all around him. He has great friends and a comfortable life. He's taken care of, wears pretty clothes, gets to eat and keep clean, has a roof over his head, and the list goes on. Nagisa knows that all of this comes at the price of his freedom, and there is no chance he can ever make a life for himself on his terms. He must accept this life as it is.  

"Nagisa! I'm talking to you!" 

Nagisa jerked his head up from the bowl. "Huh? What?" 

Rin rolled his eyes. "Are you wandering off into Nagisa-Land again? I was talking to you, and you were ignoring me." 

Nagisa laughed. "Sorry, Rin! I did let my head drift off there for a minute. What were you saying?" 

"Rin's saying you should get a good night's rest and sleep late tomorrow," Makoto said. "The Villa Master is expecting you to dance at his feast tomorrow afternoon." 

"Am I dancing alone or with others?" Nagisa asked. 

"The Villa Master wants just you and Rei to dance tomorrow," Makoto answered. "He's heard of your skills and has seen you dance in the past. Rei may very well be the best Sword Dancer in the Empire. The Villa Master is hoping you'll both put on a great show for his guests." 

Nagisa placed his empty bowl on the floor beside him. "Is he really that good?" Sword Dancers can make him nervous because they're always swinging and twirling those blades. What's to happen if the sword slips, he still wonders. Swords on their own are fine. It’s the dancers swinging them that worries him.

Rin let out a laugh. “Patrons watching become jealous of the sword.” Rin looked past Haru to Makoto. “Hey Makoto, Sosuke wonders if Rei doesn’t fuck that sword of his at night.”

Makoto blushed dark red and covered Haru’s ears. “Don’t talk like that Rin!”

"What's the theme or the name of the dance?" Nagisa asked.

"The Red Moon," Rin said. 

It was a standard dance, one that Nagisa is very familiar with. Before he learned the dance, he first had to learn the story behind it. The story is as well-known as the dance and based on an old folktale. It's told that a pair of lovers fell in love at first sight the moment they met. One was a warlord and the other a commoner. The warlord did not know that the commoner was a prostitute, and when it was found out, the warlord slaughtered all those who had slept with his beloved. Knowing that his lover will never be his alone, the warlord lays with them one last night before killing his beloved with a sword. He then turns the sword on himself. This tale is why there are two moons in the sky at night, one white and one pink. The pink crescent is the symbol of the commoner, which is the burn mark that all slaves share. There is one night a year when the two moons turn blood red, and the people have a festival. It's merely a mating frenzy that makes humans and animals desire to be with each other. It's only said to be true if one is in love.

Nagisa has never felt any of this during these festivals, and he doubted the tales' authenticity. Still, he makes a believable commoner in the dance.  

"I know that dance well," Nagisa said. "The Villa Master won't be disappointed." 

"That's good," Rin said. "Rei gets annoyed if others mess up the dance moves. He even makes up his own dances. He has a thing for numbers and dancing. He’s a bookworm." 

"He's an excellent dancer, you mean." Makoto added. "I think you two will make great dancing partners. I'll be playing the sitar for the performance and Sosuke, and Momo will play the drums." 

Haru looked at Makoto. "You know how to play an instrument?" 

"I do. It's something I had to learn. The Villa Master insisted on it when he first purchased me. He likes to hear me sing while I play it." 

"You have to play and sing for us, Makoto!" Nagisa offered. "We would love to hear you sing!" 

Makoto flushed. "I'm not that good..." 

"You're good at playing it," Rin told him. "Stop being so modest."  

"Oh, what about Haru?" Nagisa asked.  

"Haru's for another night," Rin said. "He's on serving duty to the Villa Master. But enough about work. We have a lot of catching up to do." 

* * *

 

Nagisa awoke late in the day, which left him enough time to prepare for a night of dancing. He went with Aii to the slave bathing room and let the other wash him thoroughly. It's only during times like these when Aii serves Nagisa. Nagisa ended up pulling Aii into the bath with him so they can splash around and have a little fun. Aii was reluctant at first, but then gave in and enjoyed his playtime with Nagisa. 

Afterward, Aii helped Nagisa into his outfit for the dance. It wasn't much different from his day outfit. Both are pink, but his dancing attire is a little more revealing. The pink sarong stops just above his knees and will conceal the tight loincloth beneath. The beaded fringes on his half vest are different lengths with the longest ones tickling his sides. The chiffon head veil is always his favorite of any outfit though this is the first one he wore that is sheer. The colorfully beaded headpiece dripped with a triangle of thin gold coins to match the belt and anklets. He always liked the sound of the jingling coins but preferred bells.

Aii marveled at how pretty he looked and mentioned that the Villa Master would be very pleased. If this dance were the real one, Nagisa would be wearing nothing underneath and even less clothing. Part of this dance includes a ‘sensual love-making' scene, which was anything but that. At least not for him. He was no stranger to ‘public fucking,' as others crudely refer to it, though prefers to take men in private rooms. Nagisa figured if the Villa Master enjoyed the Red Moon dance, the next time he performs will be the full story. He’d also be wearing red, not pink, and will have to publicly let himself be taken by the ‘warlord.’

“I’ll let Rin know you’re ready,” Aii said. “I have to go check on Rei now. I know you’ll do a great job!”

“Thanks, Aii.”

“Oh! I nearly forgot!” Aii opened up a trunk to fish through it and takes out a gold mask. “You’ll both be wearing masks tonight,” Aii handed it to Nagisa. “Master’s orders.”

Nagisa never had to wear a mask for this dance before. It was a simple eye mask painted gold and trimmed with beads. Aii helped him put it on, tying the ribbon behind his head. The veil would hide it well enough.

“Aii, is he ready?” A tall man dressed in guard’s garb with short black hair and teal eyes tapped his finger on the drum he’s holding under his arm. “The Master and guests are waiting.”

“He’s ready, Sosuke!” Aii said and quickly introduced Nagisa to Sosuke.

“Nice to meet you, Sosuke!” Nagisa smiled up at him. “You’re tall like Makoto!”

"Yeah," Sosuke replied calmly. “Follow me. You too, Aii.”

* * *

The performance is about to start, and Nagisa didn’t see Rei anywhere. He didn’t know what the man looked like, but Rei will be wearing a mask like him. No one else in the room is wearing a mask. Nagisa spotted Haru on the dais pouring more wine for the Villa Master and Rin standing guard. Makoto and Sosuke joined the small group of musicians who will be playing the music.

Nagisa heard applause coming from the other side of the room, starting out small and then growing louder. The guests are applauding a man in a black mask with a sword at his hip. Nagisa knew this must be Rei. The outfit he wore resembles the one that the guards wear only red instead of black. Rei is tall like Makoto but with a slenderer form. A dancers’ form like his. The mask is covering his face, but Nagisa can guess that Rei is easy on the eyes. And speaking of eyes, Rei’s eyes are purple, a lighter shade than his dark bluish hair.

Someone shouted for the dance to begin.

Nagisa took his position in front of Rei. He glanced at the sword still resting at Rei’s hip. The scimitar for dancing is always smaller than a regular one, though that didn’t make it any less unnerving. He found Rei staring at him, straight-faced, with intense violet eyes. Nagisa stared back at them, wondering what Rei is thinking about right now. Is he annoyed about having to dance with a stranger? The music started, and Nagisa let his mind clear to focus on the dance. But his eyes never left Rei’s.

This performance is unlike any other Nagisa has danced. It had to be because of the skill of his partner. Makoto and Rin were right claiming that Rei may be the best Sword Dancer in the Empire. Nagisa felt drawn to Rei's flawless movements with the sword. The sword was exciting him in a new way he never felt before. Then came the part of the dance where he must let the Sword Dancer run the flat part of the blade against his flesh. Nagisa always hated this part, but pressing his back against Rei's larger form sent a shiver down his spine. He reached his hands up to run his fingers through Rei's hair as the sword gliding along his belly, ghosting against his groin, and finally stopping at his thigh. Nagisa heard himself let out the whisper of a moan against Rei's neck. He wasn't alone in his arousal for he felt the hint of Rei's own poking him. As much as Nagisa wanted to push back and explore more, the next stage of the dance is quickly approaching with the rise of the music.

At this part, Nagisa has to dance out of the way of Rei’s swinging sword, taunting him with lude and sexual gyrations of his body. Nagisa barely noticed the crowd watching them. His eyes were set solely on Rei, and wishing to give in and let the other man ‘capture’ him. The music is nearing the end, and Nagisa throws himself to the floor with the final swing of Rei’s sword. It would be at this part where the ‘open fucking’ takes place, but the censored version consists of the tip of the blade tracing a line along the belly.

Nagisa lay on his back with his hands above his head as Rei danced over him, twirling the sword in his hands. Nagisa watched Rei instead of the blade. He can feel his nether regions tightening and quickly pressed his knees together to hide it. Nagisa let out a tiny gasp as the tip of the sword tickled a straight line from his jugular to his groin, guided by expert hands. The flat part lightly pressed against growing arousal, which for one was not in the performance and two,Nagisa took it as a sign to pull himself together.

It's the final part of the dance, where the warlord kills his beloved. Nagisa's last part is to lay still while the Sword Dancer shows off a few more sword spinning moves before moving to the floor. Nagisa smiled up at Rei as the other knelt over his waist, almost straddling him; and with perfect timing of the music, the blade comes down to Nagisa's neck but stops. Nagisa is again aware of the crowd applauding them. Nagisa didn't want Rei to leave, but the other stood up, put the sword away, and held out his hand.

“You dance beautifully,” Rei complemented.

Nagisa took Rei's hand and let the other lift him from the floor. "You too. Are you sure you’re just a Sword Dancer and not a Sword Master?”

Rei chuckled. "No, I'm just a Sword Dancer. And I must say, you are the best Moon Dancer I've had the pleasure of performing with. I'm Rei, by the way."

“I know,” Nagisa smiled. “I’m Nagisa.”

“I’m sure we’ll dance together again,”

“Maybe we can meet up before then?” Nagisa felt his blood run cold as he just blurted that out. Haru is right; he has no control over his mouth.

Before Rei could answer, he was called away by Rin. Nagisa watched Rei weave through the crowd, suddenly feeling very alone despite the many people coming to compliment him. His heart and his blood are still racing from his euphoric dance with Rei. Nagisa realized his body is feeling arousal after he thought he'd lost it forever, all from one dance that he’s done a hundred times.

“Nagisa? Nagisa!” It was Aii

Nagisa silently turned to Aii.

"The Villa Master is retreating to his room, and he wishes to see you there. I'll take you to him."

Nagisa let Aii lead him away, though he kept looking back hoping to see Rei again.

"You were so pretty out there, Nagisa! The way you danced with Rei was…was…" Aii blushed. "Well, it was so nice that it moved even the Villa Master! I'm sure you'll get something special from him tonight! You've pleased him."

“Okay.” Was all Nagisa could say. He didn’t catch a glimpse of Rei as he was taken out of the feasting room.

TBC

***I'm going to try to make the chapters not so long after this one***

 


	2. Sour Grapes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Thanks for the support so far, friends! I appreciate it! I'm working hard to keep the chapters short so I can post faster.***
> 
> Refresher:  
> Rin: Loves Haru, is jealous of Makoto  
> Sosuke: Loves Rin, jealous of/hates Haru  
> Aii: Loves Rin, jealous of Haru and scared of Sosuke  
> Momo: Loves Aii, jealous of Rin  
> Seijuro: Wants Nagisa, jealous of Rei

**Chapter 2: Sour Grapes**

Nagisa has concluded that he likes his new Villa Master after meeting with him for the first time. Regardless of how Nagisa feels about him, he must be cautious of his actions and words because the Villa Master has complete dominance over him in every way. The Villa Master complemented him endlessly on the dance, saying that Nagisa has lived up to his reputation as a superb Moon Dancer. He even told Nagisa to expect a gift for great performance coming shortly. Nagisa wondered what it could be.

After breakfast, Aii came to fetch Nagisa and Haru for their first daytime job; picking grapes for wine. Nagisa was ecstatic, but Haru not so much. They finally got to meet Momo, the night guard. Nagisa liked him instantly. Momo, along with Rin and Sosuke, will guard them in the vineyard. There are other guards present as well. Each time Nagisa passed a guard, he would greet them. Some responded others ignored him. Somewhere in the maze of vines, he had lost sight of Haru. The pile of grapes in the large basket were getting heavy, so Nagisa decided to head back to the winery to drop them off and hopefully find Haru along the way.

While heading back, two slaves who were also picking grapes stopped him.

“Hey, you’re the new guy, right? The Moon Dancer?” Asked one.

Nagisa smiled. “Yup! You can call me Nagisa. Isn’t it a nice day?” He glanced up at the sun with one eye closed. “And don’t these grapes smell great?”

“Uh, yeah,” Mumbled the other. “Say, are you going back to the winery?”

“Yeah. My basket is full.”

“Oh, good!” The first one dumped his half-full basket into Nagisa’s, and the second slave did the same. “You don’t mind saving us a trip back?”

Nagisa’s arms shook under the weight of the grapes, and he had to bend back a bit to ease the strain off his lower back. “Uh…no. It’s a little heavy though.” The two slaves seemed to ignore the last part.

“Thanks for your help,” Said the second. “We have to get back to picking now.”

Nagisa watched them disappear into the vineyards, chatting softly to themselves. He looked at the basket full of red and purple grapes, wondering what the easiest way will be to get the fruit to the winery. His arms were already starting to ache under the weight. Not finding an answer, Nagisa proceeded to the winery with the heavy basket putting more pressure on his lower back. He had to stop a few times to catch his breath and rest.

‘Why are tiny balls of fruit so heavy?’ He wondered.

“Hey! Slave! Back to work!” A passing guard shouted at him.

“I’m sorry. The basket is just too heavy,” Nagisa struggled to lift the basket.

The guard bopped him on the head with his riding crop. “If you had a brain in that head of yours, you’d know not to fill the basket up with more than you can carry!”

Nagisa wanted to say that someone else dumped their grapes in his basket, but chances are the guard will not believe him, nor will he care. “I’ll remember that next time, sir. Thank you.” Nagisa can feel the guards’ eyes on his back as he walked away down the vineyard lane. He wanted to throw a handful of grapes at the man.

“Oh, Nagisa, there you are,” It was Makoto slipping through a lane of vines with Haru behind him.

“Hey guys,” Nagisa’s voice shook with the stress of holding the basket.

Makoto, who was already carrying Haru’s grape basket, reached out and took Nagisa’s. “Let me help you with that,” Makoto effortlessly held the basket on his hip and placed Haru’s basket atop his head.

“Carry less next time,” Haru said to Nagisa while plucking a bunch of grapes from a vine.

“I was, but these other two asked me to bring theirs as well to save them a trip,”

Makoto frowned, and Haru rolled his eyes.

“Don’t let them do that, Nagisa,” Makoto said. “It’s fine to be helpful, but don’t overwork yourself, okay?”

Nagisa nodded. “Okay, Makoto. But I don’t think it’s safe for me not to have a basket. I could get in trouble.”

“Ah, very well,” Makoto placed the two baskets on the ground to move half of the grapes from Nagisa’s into Haru’s. “There. This should be easier for you to lift.”

Nagisa took the lighter basket and tried to balance it on his head as Makoto did. He yelped and stumbled, but Haru caught him. “Thanks, Haru! I guess I’ll see you guys later when I get back from the winery.”

“Be safe walking back,” Makoto waved to his friend then returned his attention to Haru. “Should we pick a few more before going to the winery?”

Haru nodded, walking along the lane and picking through the grapes. He ducked into the next lane to pick a thick bunch when he felt Makoto’s eyes on him. Haru felt his cheeks heat a little, though he remained hidden behind the grapevines.

“I wish we had more time to spend together last night, Haru,” Makoto said. “I’m going to ask the Villa Master if you can sleep in my room. It’s attached to the main chamber.”

Haru rejoined Makoto, placing the bunch of grapes in the basket. “I don’t want to leave Nagisa alone in the slave quarters so soon since our arrival,” Haru answered. “It’s not that I don’t want to. Maybe after a bit of time has passed and I feel that Nagisa is safe there.”

Makoto nodded. “I understand.” Makoto looked around to make sure they were alone before planting a chaste kiss on Haru’s cheek. Haru turned to look at him questionably but flushed. “The last time we kissed was a long time ago. Five years, I think.” Makoto felt his cheeks flush pink to match Haru’s. “I thought about you every day.” He didn’t want to ask Haru if he thought the same. That day behind the house, Haru did kiss him back, but then never spoke of it again. The Empire snatched them before they could explore a relationship. Makoto knew back then that they were too young, but he didn’t care.

“Don’t do that where people can see,” Haru said softly.

“I’m sorry, Haru.”

Haru recognized the deflated and woeful look on Makoto’s face as the same one the male wore when they little. “It’s not that I didn’t like it,” he whispered. “I don’t think it’s safe for us to do this in the open.”

Makoto beamed and said, “You’re right, Haru.”

Haru placed another bundle of grapes in the basket. “You do know what I’ve been trained and bought for, right?”

“I know. Not just Water Dancing.”

“Doesn’t that bother you?”

Makoto took Haru’s hand and stroked the top with his thumb. “No, it doesn’t bother me. We are slaves, after all. We don’t have a choice in what jobs were given. I’ve had to…do that too, a few years ago, before the Villa Master made me his Chamber Slave. I know what it’s like, so we don’t have to be ashamed. I like you no matter how you are, Haru.”

Makoto hadn’t changed at all, Haru thought to himself. He did think about the time they kissed, often, and would wonder what could have been if the Empire never raided their town. Thinking about that moment with Makoto helped him to get through each time he had to lay with a stranger. He’s tried to imagine it was Makoto with him instead, but the way clients handled his body is not how Makoto would treat him. In that aspect, Rin wouldn’t treat him poorly, either. That same day Rin had kissed him as well but didn’t know he had kissed Makoto earlier. Haru never stated it, but when he said ‘no’ to Rin, the redhead said it’s because he’s not Makoto. Rin was mad for a while, but by nightfall, he had apologized, and they left it at that. Rin is his friend the same as Makoto, but Haru personally liked Makoto more. It’s Makoto he will choose, not Rin. It will be up to Rin if he can accept their friendship or not.

“Hey there,” Rin dunked out from under one of the rows just as Haru was thinking about him.

“Good morning, Rin,” Makoto smiled at him. “Anything wrong?”

“Nah. Just making the rounds and I heard you two.” Rin plucked a grape from the vine and popped it in his mouth. He plucked another and offered it to Haru. “They’re delicious grapes, but they make better wine than food."

Haru looked at the grape then at Makoto.

“So long as Rin is giving it to you, there’s nothing to worry about.” Makoto picked a grape himself and ate it.

Haru took the grape from Rin and slowly put it in his mouth. It had a sweet taste.

“Figure I should let you know that the Villa Master is hosting another party tomorrow night,” Rin said, looking at Haru. “It’s your turn to perform. It’s taking place in the bathhouse.”

“I can’t wait to see you dance in the water, Haru,” Makoto said. “I’m sure Rin will want to see it, too. Rin can swim very well. He swims every chance he gets.”

Rin pat Makoto on the back. “You swim just as good. Remember when the four of us used to swim in that little pond?”

Makoto chuckled. “Yes, and then you challenged Haru to a race,”

“Eh. I let him win.”

Haru didn’t reply. The day he beat Rin in that race, Rin had cried, though he tried not to show it. Two days after that, Rin kissed him, and Haru thought he might have made Rin cry again. The way Rin acted around Makoto let Haru know that Rin doesn’t suspect his feelings for Makoto anymore. They both feel strongly about him, and that made Haru uncomfortable. At the other villas, the guards had full rights to the slaves, so long as no physical damage is done that could inhibit a slave’s ability to work. Rin would never hurt them, but they will need to obey Rin if necessary. Even if it is not by choice, Rin would have to follow the higher power giving orders; and both Haru and Nagisa have had to endure that with not just guards but other power officials as well. It’s whatever makes the Villa Masters and their wealthy guests excited. It hopefully won’t come to that.

“You making Makoto do all your heavy lifting for you?” Rin teased.

“He offered.” Said Haru.

“I don’t mind it at all,” Makoto told Rin. “I still think we should ask Seijuro for smaller baskets.”

“Smaller baskets don’t make the wine flow,” Rin said. “Speaking of Seijuro, I should be getting back to him. He and Rei are counting the bushels of grapes. Just thought I’d pop by and say hello.” He let out a little laugh. “Call me crazy, but I worry about losing you guys again.”

“I’m certain we can all stay together this time,” Makoto smiled. “I guess we have enough in this basket,” Makoto said to Haru. “We’ll walk back with you, Rin. Nagisa was heading there as well.”

* * *

 

Nagisa placed the basket of grapes at his feet to rest his back as he waited in line. There are three slaves ahead of him. Nagisa peeked around them to see a man with short red hair and amber eyes who resembled an older and mature Momo. Momo said his brother is the steward and general, so Nagisa assumed this is Seijuro. Beside Seijuro sat another man with the same blue hair as Rei. Though not wearing a mask, Nagisa knew that he had to be Rei, Seijuro’s assistant slave. He must get up close to make sure. Meeting Rei outside of a dance performance excited him. Rei managed to get him to feel desires long forgotten, and he wants to get to know the Sword Dancer more.

When Nagisa’s turn came up, he placed the basket of grapes on the table and smiled at Rei, who didn’t notice him but focused on counting the grapes. Rei wouldn’t look up from the basket as he moved the grapes around to count them all. Nagisa let out a little huff, trying to get Rei’s attention.

“Hey, you’re the Moon Dancer, aren’t you?”

Nagisa turned his attention to Seijuro. “Yeah, that’s me. I’m Nagisa. You’re Momo’s big brother, right?”

“Yeah, that’s me. Momo’s not getting into any trouble, is he?” Seijuro teased.

“Not that I can see!” Nagisa laughed. This is his chance to talk to Rei. “And this is Rei? Your assistant?”

Seijuro used his sandaled foot to lightly kick at Rei’s chair, getting the other’s attention. “Yo, your dance partner’s here.”

Nagisa grinned when Rei looked up from the document. Even with the glasses, Rei’s eyes appeared a lighter blue in the sun rather than intense purple in the dark.

“Oh, hello,” Rei said calmly.

“Hi, Rei! Everyone is telling me what a great performance we put on! I’m excited to dance with you again. Maybe when you’re free, we can talk about some things we might want to add to future dances? Rin told me you make up your own dances, too! I would love to see them sometime!”

“Uh, yes. Sometime, but not now,” Rei said. “I’m busy at the moment, and we need to keep the line moving.”

“Oh.” Nagisa looked behind him to see that more slaves have lined up and all were glaring at him with full baskets. “Sorry everyone,” Nagisa took his now empty basket and was going to say bye to Rei, but the Sword Dancer returned to his counting.

“Keep up the good dancing, Nagisa,” Seijuro called after him.

Nagisa waved back at Seijuro, hoping Rei would do the same, but still, the man paid him no mind. Rei had been so passionate during the dance and even showed evidence of his desire with arousal. ‘So, why is he ignoring me?’ Nagisa wondered as he entered the vineyard once again. He assumed that Rei was just too busy to speak to him and that Nagisa will try to find a more appropriate time to see Rei privately. Relationships among slaves are not uncommon, and he thinks they will make a great pair because of how well they dance together. Rin and Makoto know Rei better, so he’ll ask them later. He wants to get to know Rei as more than just a dance partner, and it scared him a little bit because he’s never felt this way about anyone.

While picking more grapes, he wondered if he only thinks he has feelings for Rei because of Makoto and Haru’s relationship. He is a tad jealous of them. He loves Haru dearly but is baffled by how Haru has both Makoto and Rin attracted to him. Haru doesn’t make it easy for people to like him, but Haru manages to get a sweet guy like Makoto anyway. Nagisa shook the thoughts from his head. He couldn’t let himself become jealous of his friends. He’s very happy for Makoto and Haru!

When the workday is over, Nagisa went back to his room and saw a bottle on his bedside table. He uncorked the bottle and took a sniff. Wine! This must be the gift the Villa Master said he should expect. Nagisa took a sip of the wine, letting it roll on his tongue to test the flavor. Usually, slaves get the lowest quality wine or the wine that doesn’t pass the taste test. Even if this wine is low quality, it’s the best kind he’s had. Now, he had to share it with the other slaves. There were six slaves currently in the quarter including Aii. Nagisa presented them with the bottle and asked if they wanted to share.

“No, you can’t share that,” Aii said. “That came directly from the Villa Master! It’s for you and you alone!”

“But I want to share it,” Nagisa smiled. “I’m sure the Villa Master won’t mind.”

Aii took the bottle from Nagisa and pushed the cork back in. “These slaves are not allowed to drink in the quarters. It’s the rule. Please follow the rules or you’ll cause trouble for all of us.”

Nagisa saw that Aii is serious, and though he found it silly, he agreed to keep the wine for himself. At least he tried to share.

Rin announced his presence when he entered the quarter, and all the slaves stood up to bow to him. Nagisa was a moment behind, but he bowed to Rin.

“Hey, you got your wine?” Rin ignored the slaves and went right to Nagisa.

“Yes, I did. I was going to share it, but Aii told me not to.”

Rin turned to Aii. “You want that wine more than he does, I bet.”

Aii blushed darkly and shook his head. “No! That’s not true!”

Rin jutted his thumb at Aii. “This one can’t hold his wine. He has one sip, and then he thinks he’s flying.”

Nagisa laughed as well. “Can’t say I’m much better than Aii!” He went over to Aii, who looked ready to die from embarrassment. “It’s nothing to be so upset about, Aii,” He pats Aii on his back. “We’ve all done funny stuff when we’ve been drunk.” Nagisa noticed that Aii had the beginning of tears in his eyes. Something bad must have happened, he assumed. Nagisa dropped the subject and returned to Rin. “If I don’t get to see the Villa Master tonight, let him know that I love the gift and thank him for it!”

“I will. Is Haru back yet?”

“I don’t think so. I haven’t seen him, and he’s not in his room. Is something wrong?”

“No, I was just wondering,” Rin said. “Have you seen Makoto?”

Nagisa shook his head. Chances are Haru is with Makoto, and that’s why Rin is looking for them. “I’m sure Haru will be back soon. He likes to go to sleep early if he can. How about you share the wine with me while you’re waiting?”

“Ah, I never pass up a chance for a drink.

They sat in Nagisa’s room drinking the wine when Haru finally came back. Haru stopped in Nagisa’s room and saw them drinking together. Nagisa greeted him and said, “Hi Haru! Want to share some wine? There’s still some left.”

Haru shook his head and entered the room.

“I came looking for you, Haru,” Rin said. “I thought we could go for a swim. Like old times.”

Nagisa sensed that Rin just wanted to get Haru alone. “Hey, maybe I can come too? I want to swim again!”

“Another time, Nagisa,” Rin said. “I’m ready to challenge Haru again.” He winked at Haru. “Up for a swim, Haru?”

“Yes,”

Nagisa wasn’t surprised by Haru’s answer. He gave a raspberry with his lips. “Fine. I’ll just stay in this room. Bored. And alone.”

“Go play with Aii,” Rin offered. “He needs a friend.”

“That’s an idea! Thanks, Rin! Don’t keep Haru out too late, now!”

Nagisa skipped out of his room and searched the slave quarters for Aii. Haru will know how to handle Rin if Rin tries anything. While turning a corner in his search for Aii, Nagisa slammed into something hard and heavy. He lost his balance and fell backward onto the floor with a yelp. He looked up and saw Sosuke towering above him, sword at his belt, and staring down at him. Nagisa hoped he didn’t do anything wrong. Sosuke is a man of few words, like Haru, only scarier. And bigger. And taller.

“You okay?” Sosuke asked.

“Oh! Um, yeah. I’m okay.” Nagisa stood up, dusting his harem pants. “Just startled me.”

“Have you seen Rin?”

“Rin? Yeah. He’s going for a swim with Haru in the bathhouse.”

“Haru, huh?” Sosuke looked over Nagisa’s head. “He’s the Water Dancer that came with you?”

“Yup!” Nagisa grinned. “We all grew up together; me, Makoto, Haru, and Rin! It’s crazy that we found each other like this! We’re just catching up on old times.”

“Hm. Guess I’ll head to the bathhouse.” Sosuke moved to step around Nagisa, but the slave blocked him.

“Rin doesn’t want anyone to bother him with Haru,” Nagisa said. “I wasn’t even invited. They’re going to race in the water.”

“I see,” Sosuke gave a soft snort and turned from Nagisa. “Old friends, huh? Is that all they are?”

Nagisa cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean? They’ve always been friends.” Nagisa had a feeling that telling Sosuke of Rin’s feelings for Haru is a bad idea. He tried a different approach. “Don’t worry, Sosuke! Haru won't take your place! Rin has room in his heart for all of us!” Nagisa latched on to Sosuke’s arm. “I’m searching for Aii right now to find something to do. You’re welcome to join us if you feel lonely!”

Sosuke pulled his arm away. “I’ll pass.” He tried to escape from Nagisa, but the little slave tugged on his vest, forcing him to stop. “What now?”

“Do you know Rei?” Nagisa asked.

“Yeah. What about him?”

“Well, he and I danced together,”

“I know. I was there; playing the drums.”

“But he won’t talk to me now,” Nagisa said. “He spoke to me the night of the dance, but today, he just brushed me off. Did I do something wrong?”

Sosuke smirked and turned back to face Nagisa. “There’s two types of Rei; the Sword Dancer, and the Assistant. Rei is an educated slave. He knows how to read and write, and can speak three languages fluently. Both Seijuro and the Villa Master count on him for a lot of things. When Rei is not dancing, he is a strong worker, and he doesn’t like anyone to interfere with his job. He doesn’t like prostitutes, either. So, don’t get your hopes up.”

Nagisa tilted his head to look up at Sosuke. “It’s not by choice,”

“It doesn’t matter. This is what I’ve come to tell Rin; it’s dangerous to fall in love with your type of slave. Your job is to dance, awaken lust, and sleep with whomever your master tells you too. Rin is Captain of the Guard. He doesn’t need to busy himself with slaves.”

Nagisa almost snapped at Sosuke, wanting to tell him that he is wrong, but kept his mouth shut. Sosuke has the right to beat him if he spoke out of term or said something Sosuke deems offensive. Nagisa never liked the whip or the cane, and he’s been on the receiving end of both. He doesn’t know anyone who does. It wasn’t fair to put such harsh assumptions on Sosuke, but Nagisa also knew that it isn’t safe to trust just anyone, especially when they wield power.

“I’m sorry for keeping you, Sosuke,” Nagisa said, ducking around Sosuke’s hulking form to retreat from the man.

Nagisa turned a corner and stopped to rest against the wall. The stone felt cold against his skin, so he spun to rest his open front and cheek on the hard surface. Sosuke said Rei didn’t like prostitutes. Can that be true? Rei spoke so kindly to him the night they danced and even complimented him. Nagisa knows he felt Rei’s erection at one point, so the Sword Dancer did desire him on some basis. But today at the vineyard, Rei was acting differently. Was Rei just busy and didn’t want to be bothered? Or did Rei really not want anything to do with him?

‘No,’ Nagisa said to himself, pushing away from the stone. ‘That’s what Sosuke says, but I’ll pass my own judgment when I see Rei again!

“Heeey! Nagisa!”

Nagisa smiled and turned at the sound of Momo’s voice. He quickly pushed all thoughts of Rei to the back of his mind.

“Hi, Momo! I’m looking for Aii. Have you seen him?”

“I was going to see him, too,” Momo grinned. “Want to come with me?”

“Yeah!” Nagisa trotted a few steps behind Momo as is expected of a slave. ‘To get close to Rei, I must first get close to Seijuro. And who else can get me closer to Seijuro if not his own little brother!’

**TBC**


	3. Making Waves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***I love the comments and the kudos! Thanks everyone! This update is a little late, but it is another long chapter. I know I said I would try to keep them shorter, and I'm still working on that! So please read on and enjoy!
> 
> Refresher:  
> Rin: Loves Haru, is jealous of Makoto  
> Sosuke: Loves Rin, jealous of/hates Haru  
> Aii: Loves Rin, jealous of Haru and scared of Sosuke  
> Momo: Loves Aii, jealous of Rin  
> Seijuro: Wants Nagisa, jealous of Rei

** Chapter 3: Making Waves **

Rei finished tallying up the barrels of wine ready to be sent out for delivery. This month’s quantity turned out better than the last, and Rei knew the Villa Master would be satisfied. The last thing he needed to do for the evening before turning in is checking the recipient records. He returned to Seijuro’s office and opened the record book, turning to last month’s deliveries and income. Three recipients are behind on their payments, which is a problem. It must be reported to Seijuro and then to the Villa Master to decide on how to proceed with receiving payment. Usually, the Villa Master withholds wine deliveries until the recipients pay what is owed, then Rei gets to deal with the angry letters from said recipients. Any problems Seijuro doesn’t want to deal with, he gives to Rei.

He’d stayed up working late once again. He has a solo dance performance tomorrow night before the Water Dancer’s debut, so he’ll try to get a late start to the morning. If all the work for the day gets done, Rei can get a later start to the next. He took the lantern and left the winery to return to his room. Rei’s room is attached to Seijuro’s chambers, but he doesn’t cater to Seijuro’s every need like Makoto does for the Villa Master. Occasionally, Seijuro asks Rei to fetch him wine or bring up a meal, but Rei’s primary job is to ensure the Purple Lotus runs smoothly. Seijuro would rather be training the soldiers than keeping records. Rei didn’t mind, though. Doing Seijuro’s job (and doing it well) prevented him from hard labor. It also helped that he is a Sword Dancer.

As he lay on his bed, Rei thought back to the Dance of the Red Moon and the Moon Dancer he performed with. Nagisa is his name. Nagisa is the most beautiful and highly skilled dancer Rei has had the experience of meeting. However, Nagisa’s personality is to…loud. For a slave, Nagisa does not know his place and speaks too openly for his position as a slave. Rei foresees trouble for Nagisa in the future if the slave doesn’t learn to control himself. But the dancing…

He had felt Nagisa’s arousal during their performance, and Rei couldn’t help but wonder if the other honestly liked him or was just turned on by the dancing. Rei has danced with many partners, but none ever showed him any sexual attraction like Nagisa. It could just have been the dance. A dancing pleasure slave as beautiful as Nagisa wouldn’t be interested in him. People like Nagisa annoy him; they’re pushy, ill-mannered, and noisy.

‘But I do look forward to dancing with him again.’

* * *

 

The following morning, Rei arose early despite wanting to sleep in late. He would seek out Seijuro first, make sure the wine barrels are correctly loaded, and then practice some dancing. When he reached Seijuro’s room, he saw that the door was left open and no one is inside. Rei looked behind him to the walkway across the hall to see the sun just rising.

‘Seijuro is never up this early,’ Rei thought. ‘Unless something is wrong.’

“Looking for the boss man?”

Rei turned to see Sosuke. "Oh, Sosuke. Good morning. Have you seen Master Seijuro?"

"He's with his brother and that slave,"

"This early in the morning?"

"I think your Master likes him. Nagisa, I mean. He'll probably ask the Villa Master if he can have Nagisa some nights."

"I don't think that's likely to happen," Rei fixed his glasses. "I heard from Makoto that the Villa Master absolutely adores Nagisa and will soon become one of the favorites."

Rei and Sosuke exchanged amused glances at the word 'favorite.' It's known among only the closest to the Villa Master of the older man's ailments and dysfunctions. With a crooked back and weak knees, the Villa Master often needs his wheelchair to move around. Along with stomach issues and poor hearing, the man is also impotent. As a young man, he collected many beautiful slaves to take to his bed often. Now that he can no longer perform, his thrill is to watch his slaves and guards couple with one another- all by his command. If Nagisa does become a 'lotus,' as is the term for the Villa Master's favorite, he'll enjoy a lavish lifestyle that of a mistress and not a slave. Luckily for Rei, the Villa Master does not care to watch slaves couple with one another. It's either guards, soldiers, or political officials. 

Rei doubted he could have performed the full act of the Red Moon dance anyway. The first being that he has never been with anyone, top or bottom, slave or higher. His academic skills saved him from that type of life. He was fortunate to have been educated when he was a young boy because finding such intelligence in a slave is rare. Unlike most slaves, no one stole him from his home. He had lived a happy life in a charming town near the Sultan's palace where his father was a bookbinder and his mother a seamstress. After their deaths, both Rei and his older brother were still too young to inherit the family business, so it passed to their uncle. Their uncle wanted nothing to do with them, and before Rei knew it, he was in the wagon of a slave trader and then split up from his brother. Rei was fortunate that the Villa Master found and bid on him before anyone else could. From what he's learned over the years living at the Purple Lotus, their Villa Master is a kind one compared to others. 

"Well, the two new slaves are already stirring things up," Sosuke said.

"How do you mean?"

"They're all friends. Rin, Makoto, Nagisa, and Haru. The way Rin talks about them, they are best friends; and Rin is fond of Haru."

Rei looked surprised. He knew that Sosuke's feelings for Rin go deeper than friendship, and though Sosuke is a very intimidating looking guard, he is quite shy. Rei understood Sosuke's hesitation to share his feelings with Rin. For two guards of the Empire to be romantically involved is, in a way, disgraceful. That's what slaves and servants are for. To become a guard of the Empire is to be held to extremely high standards of strength, power, and dominance. Those fortunate to become guards, like Rin, must work twice as hard to uphold the criteria that are placed upon them. Guards must always be dominant, and neither Sosuke nor Rin would give up that dominance to be taken by the other. If Rei were to place money on who would win and get to top the other, he'd set it all on Sosuke. Rin will lose all respect if he's revealed to let another guard dominate him in sex.

"I'm sure Rin is just excited to see an old friend," Rei tried to assure him. "Give it time to pass. I need to get to the winery. Hopefully, I'll see my Master along the way. If not, let him know that I came looking for him."

"Sure."

Rei retrieved the record book and a few others from Seijuro's office and proceeded to the winery. While exiting the villa and crossing the stone path to the winery, he heard an eerily familiar voice calling out to him. Rei turned to see that it is Nagisa hurrying over to him with a basket of dates. When Nagisa isn't dancing with all the skills and grace of a deity, he is highly active and clumsy.  Rei contemplated running away, but with the heavy books in his arms, he'd likely get caught. 

"Good morning, Rei!" Nagisa smiled so brightly that Rei thought the sun itself would be jealous. Nagisa is attractive but would make a much better statue. Nagisa is a child in an adult body, and that bothered Rei. 

"Good day to you, Nagisa," Rei replied. "Picking dates, I see?"

"Yeah. Seijuro asked me to do it. Snacks for the feast tonight."

"He is 'Master' to us, Nagisa," Rei reminded him. "Do not call him by his name."

Nagisa pouted. "But he said I could,"

"Maybe when it is just you and him. Let that be the only time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." Rei started to walk away when Nagisa bounced in front of him, forcing him to a halt. 

"I need to go to the winery too! I'll walk with you!" Nagisa offered.

"No," Rei declined. "Get back to collecting dates." Rei attempted to step around Nagisa, but again he is blocked.

"Why don't you want to talk to me, Rei?" Nagisa asked him.

"We're talking now,"

"Yes, but you don't talk to me like Rin, Aii, Momo, and Seijuro do! I thought we could be friends because we dance so well!"

"Dancing is one thing," Rei said. "But we're not dancing now. Yes, you are a wonderful dancer, and I will happily dance with you again. But that's all."

"You got hard that night we danced," Nagisa came right out and said that which made Rei blush. It was true, but Rei was able to control it by focusing on completing the dance. 

"A natural reaction to a sensual dance like the Red Moon," Rei answered. "You're very good at playing the part of the commoner." He didn't like the wink that Nagisa gave him.

"I wouldn't have minded if it were the full dance,"

Rei blushed again and this time shoved past Nagisa, making the other almost drop the basket of dates. "Please leave me be when we're dancing, Nagisa. Okay? Hey!" Rei gasped when, in a flash, Nagisa had taken one of the record books from him. "Give it back!"

"What are you reading?" Nagisa turned away from Rei as he flipped through the pages.

"Where're the pictures."

Rei ripped the book from Nagisa's hands, startling the smaller slave. "Do not touch these books!" Rei scolded. "Within these pages hold months of records and information that your head couldn't possibly fathom! I could be beaten or even killed should something happen to these books! Understand?" 

 "I'm sorry, Rei,"

"You stick to screwing and dancing. That's YOUR job! Leave me alone so that I can do mine!" He stormed off for a few feet before coming to a stop and thought about what he just did. 

It was uncalled for. Nagisa did not choose the life of a slave, and due to his pretty looks, was make a pleasure slave before a dancing one. He turned back to apologize, but Nagisa had already walked out of earshot, a basket of dates held loosely against his hip. Nagisa's shoulders slumped as he walked. Rei realized he had overacted. Nagisa just embarrassed him with what was said back there, and someone like Nagisa speaking to him is just as rare as an educated slave. Next time he sees Nagisa, he'll have to apologize properly. 

But there is truth behind Nagisa's words; he did indeed get aroused. And now Nagisa is showing interest in him. It had to be something else besides desire. Nagisa is just an overly friendly person who is accustomed to having his way with men. Nagisa would laugh at him if Rei told him about being a virgin. 

Now he's overthinking things. He had work to do.

Nagisa should be used to others calling him stupid and finding him annoying, but hearing it from Rei was different. He can tell how smart Rei is just by how well he speaks, and Rei can read those thick books. Nagisa never learned to read, and he can barely pen his name. Not that he needs to know all that anyway because he's only a slave and good for one thing. He must remember how to keep himself alive and away from the whip rather than be smart. But, it's still unfair. Rei is a slave just like him, only intelligent, handsome, and skilled. The way that man dances with a sword...Nagisa found himself smiling in amusement at being jealous of a sword. 

He let his mind wander while walking to the winery, and his thoughts went straight to Rei. Nagisa thought about him and Rei being alone together, in their own world, without anyone around. And Rei with his sword. He imagined Rei dancing, only Nagisa thought of it as a mating dance. He paused in his strolling when his lower belly started to tingle with growing arousal. He would play hard-to-get while Rei continued the mating dance with a sword. Nagisa wouldn't be able to escape, and then Rei's sword would cut the clothes from Nagisa's body, thus claiming victory. 

Nagisa moaned softly as he imagined what will come after. What kind of lover would Rei be? Quiet ones always fuck the hardest and the roughest. Although, Nagisa isn't sure that's entirely true. All the men he's lifted his hips for have been rough with sex- most of the time they were just bad at it. Nagisa didn't believe in 'making love.' Such a thing didn't exist. It's only for ballads, stories, and fairytales. No one makes love to a whore; not even Rei.

'Husbands make love to the wives they adore- they want to protect and cherish her, holding her to high standards, and they want her to see them as they see her. So, they fuck the whores to sate the perverted beast deep inside them, then go home to become the gentle stallion. That's what you are. That is your only purpose. Learn to accept this, and you will find your life as a slave a happy one, and you won't get hurt.' 

Those were the words of his sex trainer; a man he hasn't thought of since, well, forever. Nagisa can't even remember the man's name, but he remembers those words. It was after Nagisa's first night with the rich client that bought his virginity. Nagisa asked his sex trainer why married rich men come to them, and he got his answer. He even discussed it with Haru, who also had just been through his first night. Haru didn't have anything to say.

The sound of crying reached his ears, and it broke Nagisa from his flashbacks. It was a soft weeping, like someone trying to hide the fact that they are crying. Nagisa put the basket of dates down and followed the sound to some stacked hay bales. He looked around the yellow straw and saw Aii sitting on the ground, knees to his chest, and balled up fists against his eyes.

"Aii? Are you okay?"

Aii became startled, quickly wiping at his eyes. "Yes! Yes, I'm fine!" He said immediately.

The answer didn't fool Nagisa. "No, something's upsetting you. Are you hurt?" Nagisa sat down beside him.

"No, I'm not hurt," Aii answered softly.

"Did someone hurt your feelings?" 

"More than that," 

"Want to talk about it? It really helps to talk it out sometimes," Nagisa slid closer to Aii and put an arm around the other's shoulder. "You can trust me, Aii. I won't tell anybody. Why are you crying?"

Aii sniffled a few times and then said, "I was stupid to think it."

"Think what?"

"That the man I like...likes me back." 

Nagisa understood the gist of Aii's sadness now. 

"I guess I can tell you, Nagisa. You're used to this kind of stuff,"

Nagisa wasn't sure what Aii meant by that. "I might be able to help."

Aii looked down at his dirty knees and started to tell Nagisa what happened. "I've liked Rin for a long time. He's always been so nice to me even though I used to mess things up a lot for him. I really look up to him. And last night...well...he was stumbling around drunk, so I helped him to his room. He didn't seem too happy...said something about 'losing.' Before I knew it, I was in his bed. I thought we were making love at first," Aii blushed and smiled. "I was so happy...it was my first time, and it was with someone I love! Rin cradled me, kissed me, made me feel so good," Aii's smile then disappeared. 

"What happened, Aii?" Nagisa hoped Rin didn't hurt Aii. He couldn't see Rin doing that. "What did Rin do?"

Aii began to cry again and hid his face between his knees. "He called me 'Haru.'" 

Nagisa immediately pulled Aii into a comforting embrace. "Oh Aii, I'm so sorry," 

"It's not fair," Aii said through his tears. "I've loved Rin since I first saw him! I do all that I can to impress him! I even give myself to him! And he wants some mopey dancer instead!"

Nagisa didn't get a chance to see or talk to Haru last night, but now he knows what has happened. Either Haru beat Rin in a race or Rin confessed his feelings and got rejected. Or both. He rubbed soothing circles on Aii's back.

"I don't think Haru returns Rin's feelings," Nagisa said. "That's why Rin was so upset and drunk last night. Have you talked to Rin?"

"No. After Rin called me that- name, I quickly left."

"I think you should talk to him. Rin will apologize for what he did." He told Aii how they were all friends before they were captured. "I know Rin. He will apologize to you."

"But it doesn't matter if he's sorry or not! He still likes Haru!" Aii lifted his head and clenched his fists on his knees. "Haru is a whore and a dancer! All he does is dance and sleep with men! He doesn't deserve someone like Rin! Rin's a captain-"

"Aii!" Nagisa almost slapped Aii for speaking of Haru in that way but controlled himself. "Haru did not ask for this life, nor did I! And neither did you!" Nagisa said, forcing Aii to look at him. "Rin has liked Haru since we were children together! Everything that has happened has not been by our choice! You gave your virginity to the man you love; both Haru and I had ours bought and stolen from us! Haru and I were still children when we were forced! I didn't even know what was happening to me when that man took my innocence. Haru suffered the same. So don't you dare talk about Haru in that way!"

"You're right," Aii said softly. "I shouldn't have said those things. I was just so angry about Haru! Rin and I couldn't be together even if we wanted to. He's a guard, and I'm a slave."

"We can't help who we love, Aii," Nagisa said. "And I'm sorry for before."

Aii shook his head. "It's okay. I guess we should get back to work. Will you help me collect some dates?"

Nagisa agreed to help Aii. While they worked, Nagisa thought about what happened between Rin and Aii, and how he can use it to everyone's advantage. Haru and Makoto are meant to be, that Nagisa knew. Rin will pose a threat to them by letting his feelings get in the way of their friendship. Their bond is too strong to break, and he can't allow them to fall apart after they've all found each other again. Rin needs someone to love him, and Aii is that person. If he can push Rin and Aii together, then it will free Makoto and Haru, thus keeping their friendship. 

And he would still be the only one in the group all alone.  

* * *

 

Rei sat in the far back of the bathhouse awaiting his turn to perform. Currently, the acrobats are performing. He is next in line to perform and lead the introduction to the Water Dancer. Rei will be presenting the Dance of the Dragon, an appropriate dance for the elemental theme of tonight's party. There are no Fire Dancers to be found in this area of the Empire, so Rei must dress in orange and red to represent flame. Fire Dancing, in his opinion, is the scariest of all with Water Dancing coming in at a close second. Fire can burn, and water can drown. Sword dancing has its risks, too. It's only Sun and Moon dancing that is harmless. 

Speaking of Moon Dancers, Rei searched the bathhouse floor for Nagisa. He saw the young dancer sitting on the floor beside the Villa Master. The Villa Master has appeared to make Nagisa his 'lotus'; a title given to the favorite among all pleasure slaves. Any lotus slave wears the trademark dark purple color of this villa. The dye's called Royal Purple because its price is so high that only the elite and the Sultan can afford it. Nagisa looked remarkable in the vibrant color. Nagisa's whole body is bare except for the shendyt* that covered his lower half, stopping at the knees. A headband of amethysts and bells rested upon the honey hair and a sheer purple veil draped over the lower half of his heart-shaped face. Nagisa's magenta eyes caught his from across the room, and Rei quickly spun around to avoid them. Too late now. Nagisa saw him staring!

The acrobats finished. It's his turn to dance, and Nagisa will be watching him! Rei had to think of a way to keep himself from tripping up in the dance. He can't allow Nagisa to make him so uncomfortable that he cannot perform correctly. To fail is to embarrass the Villa Master, and that is something Rei cannot handle. 

As he entered the center of the floor, he twirled his sword to get the guests' attention. The Dance of the Dragon is a warrior-type dance in which he will pretend to fight an imaginary dragon. Nagisa will be the dragon, and Rei will compete against his insecurities. The music began; those heavy drums and tambourines...it got his blood pumping.

After the Dance of the Dragon ended, Rei felt that he had danced twice as hard and three times as passionate while thinking of about Nagisa. The guests applauded, and Rei bowed with his sword. He chanced a glance at Nagisa to see that the Moon Dancer is sitting upright, smiling like a vixen. Luckily, Rei's face is already flushed from the intensity of the dance so that no one would notice his embarrassment. He can feel Nagisa's eyes on him as he retreated to the back of the room once again. Hopefully, Haru's dance will begin quickly, and Nagisa's eyes will be focused elsewhere. 

"Oh, Rei, why are you all the way back here?"

Rei turned to see Makoto with his sitar. "I don't want to get splashed with water." Rei is curious about Water Dancing with its sequenced styles. He has never seen a Water Dancer, though he has studied the skills in the books he's read. Watching one in action will be both a viewing and learning event. "Are you playing tonight?" Rei asked, looking at the instrument. No one can play that instrument like Makoto.

Makoto flushed softly and answered, "I asked the Villa Master if I can play the tune for Haru's dance. He said yes."

"Which song will you play?"

"Crescent Waves." 

"Ah. An appropriate song for the dance. It sounds beautiful on the sitar. But there's no need to be bashful or modest, Makoto. You're a fabulous sitar player, and you know it."

"It's more about playing it for the dancer," Makoto said. "I should get ready. Haru will appear soon."

Rei wondered what Makoto meant about playing for the dancer. He'd think about it later. The Water Dancer has appeared. Rei did move up to the front to get a closer look at the pool where Haru will be swimming. Haru wore only a white loincloth with four different shades of blue sashes. Rei wondered if they were tucked in or sewn to the material. Swimming with those sashes could be dangerous, but Water Dancers are skilled enough to the point where the sashes won't tangle. Rei heard the music begin and waited eagerly to see what will come. 

* * *

 

Makoto could only watch in adoration as Haru danced through the water, each move expertly timed with the music. His favorite image is when Haru would dive under the clear water with the blue sashes trailing behind like a fin. Makoto knows that Haru is happiest when in the water, and that's the way it has always been since they were children together. Makoto wished he could be in that water with Haru, swimming together, free of the binds of slavery. They can swim free together. Makoto smiled when their eyes met as Haru swam over to him, as part of the dance. Makoto silently promised Haru that he would play a song just for him when they are alone. And when the song finally ended, Haru only had eyes for him as the guests cheered and clapped. Makoto wanted to toss his sitar and jump into the pool with Haru to embrace him. A dripping wet Haru is just as stunning as a dry Haru.  

* * *

 

Rin saw the way Haru looked at Makoto at the end of the dance, and he frowned. He pushed off the stone pillar to flee the scene with Sosuke following behind. His second in command always supported him. Not that he minded it. Sosuke has been his friend since he first came to the Purple Lotus. If there is anyone he can confide in, it's Sosuke. 

"Everything alright?" Sosuke asked him.

Rin leaned over the open railing with his arms folded staring out at the lights of Lotus City. The night is fresh with a gentle breeze, and its welcomed on his heated face. 

"Yes, and no," Rin looked up at the twin moons. "I know I can trust you, Sosuke."

"Of course," Sosuke gripped the hilt of his sword. "My blade is yours, Sir."

Rin smirked. "No one is here. You can call me by my name."

"Then what's bothering you, Rin?"

"It's Makoto," Rin said. "He's pissing me off,"

Sosuke let out a little snort. "What did he do? Smile too much?" 

"This is no time for jokes," Rin shot him a glare before returning his gaze to the tiny lights of the city. "And it's not Makoto's fault that he's pissing me off. He's one of my best friends, I'd do anything for him, and I know he'd do the same for me. But now that Haru is here," Rin sighed. "I'm worried our relationship is going to change."

"Why should it change?"

Rin already told Sosuke how the four of them all know each other. "Makoto and Haru have always been...closer to one another than Nagisa and me. That hasn't changed. If anything, their bond has gotten stronger, and my feelings for Haru have no changed since back then."

"Perhaps it's for the best," Sosuke said. "You must remember that Haru is not that child you played with anymore. He is a pleasure slave, sold and bartered to men. That's not fair to you. Haru can never be yours, and can you really be with a slave whose job it is to have sex with multiple men? A guard of your caliber shouldn't be showing affection towards a slave. It's not safe." 

"It's not fair to Haru either," Rin said. "It's hard to explain it to someone who hasn't shared my experience, so I'll spare you the boring details. But I can't give up Haru. I just can't. I think there's still a chance for us. I just couldn't bear to see Makoto making eyes at Haru."

"Rin, it's probably just the lust you're feeling," Sosuke said. "That's what you felt last night after you got drunk. You were jealous and had to sate your lust, so you sought out someone to warm your bed."

"I don't remember much of last night," Rin said. "I had sex with someone. They were small. It wasn't Nagisa because he would have stopped me. I just imagined it was Haru."

Sosuke came to stand next to him. "I know who it was, and you should apologize to him."

"Who?"

"It was Aii," Sosuke answered. "I only know this because I saw Aii coming out of your room. I didn't know what he was doing there at first. Slaves are not allowed to wander our quarters by themselves, so I scolded him and sent him running. He was visibly upset, but I thought that was only because he got caught. When I looked in your room, you were sprawled out naked on the bed, dead-drunk asleep."

"Shit," Rin hissed and dragged a hand down his face. "I really screwed up!"

"Don't let it bother you too much," Sosuke said. "Everything you did with Aii is in your right as a guard."

"I know, but that still doesn't make it right," Rin countered. "And I know I was saying Haru's name the whole time. Dammit!"

"Aii's not a prostitute like Haru, but he is still a slave. I think you should focus on others worthy of your status, for the sake of your reputation."

Rin scoffed. "Like who? You? Don't be ridiculous, Sosuke. I would never sour our friendship like that. And our men will probably lose all respect for us. I want Haru. That's who I want."

"Don't tell Aii that when you apologize to him,"

"I should find Aii," Rin said and went back inside to the party.

Sosuke followed, though his hand is in an iron grip on the hilt of his sword. 

* * *

 

Nagisa yawned loudly from his spot on the Villa Master's massive bed. Both he and Haru were summoned to sleep in the bed with the Villa Master, who likes to be surrounded by 'pretty young boys.' Haru was still drying his hair next to the bed. The Villa Master is still at the party but should be returning soon. 

"Haru, you were great tonight!"

"Hm." 

"Makoto liked it!" Nagisa grinned when Haru's shoulders tensed. "It was really romantic. The way you two looked at each other." Nagisa rolled onto his belly to squeeze the pillow. "Makoto was playing just for you, Haru. I could tell! You're so lucky to have someone like Makoto adoring you."

"It's not me being 'lucky,' Nagisa. Everything is more complicated than before."

Nagisa crawled over to Haru and hugged him from behind. He kissed Haru's cheek.

"I'll help you in any way I can,"

"You can't free us from this bondage,"

"No, though I wish I could."

Haru sighed. "There's no point in thinking about this," he said in defeat. "I haven't been able to feel real pleasure for so long. I don't think I ever did."

"I feel the same way!" Nagisa agreed. 

"Let's try to get some sleep before the Villa Master comes."

"He will want to see us play around with each other," Nagisa reminded him.

"I'm really not in the mood,"

“Neither am I, but I have someone to think about, and that will help." He kissed Haru's temple this time. "Just think of me as Makoto...and that will help you feel better."

"Who are you going to think of?"

Nagisa rests his forehead against Haru's back. "Someone who doesn’t like me."  

 

 

 

 


	4. Shameful Regrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Thanks for the support everyone!   
> ***This chapter gets a bit explicit with sex and non-con, as well as mentions of child slavery.   
> ***So much for keeping chapters short.

**Chapter 4: Shameful Regrets**

 

Early the next morning, Nagisa and Haru were awoken by Makoto to return to their rooms in the slave’s quarters. The Villa Master kept them both up most of the night just talking to them until the older male eventually fell asleep. Nagisa, his eyes still half closed, toddled next to Makoto who is carrying a sleeping Haru on his back. When they got to their rooms, Nagisa didn’t bother with making sure Haru got to his because Makoto has control. He flopped onto his bed and instantly fell asleep, snoring through almost the whole day until Aii woke him up.

 

“Nagisa, wake up! You’re being summoned!”

 

Nagisa groaned into the pillow and mumbled, “Just a few more minutes,”

 

Aii grabbed Nagisa’s ankle and attempted to pull him out of bed. “No! Time to get up!”

 

Nagisa held on to the base frame of the bed. Aii ended up stumbling backwards when he lost his hold on Nagisa’s ankle.

 

“You get up right now or…or I’ll…I’ll....I’ll call Sosuke!”

 

“Call me for what?”

 

Aii yelped as he found Sosuke suddenly standing behind him. “H-hello, Sir!”

 

“What’s all the noise?” Sosuke asked.

 

“Nagisa is being summoned, but he refuses to get up!”

 

Sosuke went over to the bed, pulled the top blanket off, and effortlessly lifted Nagisa out by the back of the vest. Nagisa’s yelp had matched Aii’s earlier as he slipped out of the half vest and onto the floor.

 

“Ouch! That hurt!” Nagisa whined, rubbing his tailbone

 

“When Aii tells you to get up, you get up,” Sosuke said. “Who summoned him?” He asked Aii.

 

“Master Seijuro did,” Aii answered.

 

Nagisa heard Seijuro’s name, and he instantly woke up. Wherever Seijuro is, Rei isn’t far behind. Despite their harsh conversation yesterday, Nagisa is determined not to give up on Rei.

 

“You should have said who was summoning me, Aii!” Nagisa said.

 

Sosuke turned to Aii and said, “Make sure you say who is summoning them next time,” Sosuke reminded him. “And Rin wants to see you.”

 

“He wants to see me?” Aii repeated.

 

“Yeah. Don’t keep Rin waiting.”

 

“Um…I…okay…”

 

“Do you want me to walk with you on the way?” Nagisa offered, now fully awake.

 

“Sure.”

 

“Don’t keep him too long,” Sosuke said to Aii. “And Nagisa, make sure you get to Seijuro.”

 

“I will!” Nagisa walked alongside Aii while the other mumbled nervously under his breath. He took Aii’s hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He can feel that Aii’s palm is sweaty. “Try not to look so scared, Aii. You might have noticed that Haru never shows Rin any signs of fear. You should try to be stronger and get Rin’s attention that way. He respects strength more than being timid.”

 

“It’s the power he wields that I’m scared of, Nagisa,” Aii said.

 

Nagisa smiled at him. “You don’t have to worry about any of that with Rin.”

 

“I know…but Nagisa, we’re slaves. Rin’s not. What if he wants to punish me for what happened the other night?”

 

Nagisa raised a brow. “I doubt that will happen,” They came to Rin’s door, and Nagisa knocked for him. “If he wants to do it again, I say, go for it!”

 

When the door open and Rin stood there, Nagisa swiftly greeted him, said he had to run, and ‘accidentally’ bumped into Aii. The Head Slave yelped and fell into Rin’s arms. Nagisa smiled with pride as he heard Rin asking Aii if he was okay. Nagisa left them to their talk. With any luck, Aii will take his words to heart and push himself onto Rin, thus leaving Haru free to love Makoto, which makes their bond remain as tight as it always has been. He had every reason to be proud of himself; until he got so lost in his thoughts that he ran into someone. Haru always scolded him to watch where he is going. The person he bumped in to was Rei, who must have been carrying a lot of books because they were covered in them. A few pieces of parchment fluttered around them.

 

“Hey, Rei! We keep bumping into each other!” Nagisa said with a chuckle, reaching out to fix Rei’s crooked glasses. “There we go! Sorry about the books. Let me help you clean them up!”

 

“No, that’s quite alright,” Rei said quickly, reaching out to grasp Nagisa’s wrist to stop the other. “It was an accident. But I need to put…all these books and papers…back in the correct order.” ‘Oh, what a mess!’

 

“You were carrying too many books, Rei. I’ll help you carry some to wherever you need to bring them, and we’ll get them all straightened out.”

 

“It’s not that easy!” Rei tried to keep his voice in an even tone, but he's aggravated with all the extra work he now had to do. “Can you even read, Nagisa?”

 

“Well, no, but I can pick things up and put them where you tell me to put them.” He smiled. Rei didn’t.

 

“Then there is nothing you can do to help me! You’ve already created extra work for me to do, so I think you’ve done enough. You’re supposed to be seeing Master Seijuro anyway, and you’re very late!”

 

“I’m sorry, Rei,” Nagisa picked up a piece of paper and looked at it. The words only looked like scribbles to him. “Can I at least carry some of the books?”

 

“Don’t touch anything,” Rei said. “Please, just go and see Master Seijuro.”

 

Nagisa got up from the floor and tried his best to step around the books. He did slip on a piece of paper that had Rei gasping out loud. Nagisa couldn’t look back for he was too embarrassed to face Rei after their second disastrous encounter. Their first encounter was the dance, and it was beautiful. These last two have been crashing into one another, ending with Rei being angry. He wasn’t doing a very good job of impressing Rei. Nagisa figured he is better off finding out more about Rei from Makoto than from Seijuro. Seijuro will allow for Nagisa to get closer to Rei, and maybe even spend more time with Rei. If he knows more about what Rei likes, then they may be able to find some common ground. He did not want to give up on Rei. It would be easier on him to do so, but when they danced that night, Nagisa had felt something he has never felt before. It is a feeling he isn’t prepared to lose, and he will fight for it if he must.

 

Seijuro’s door was left open, and Nagisa went inside. “Master?” He saw Seijuro sitting on the bed, lacing up his sandals.

 

“There you are, Nagisa! I called for you a while ago.”

 

Nagisa folded his hands behind his back and rocked on his toes. “I’m sorry, Master. The Villa Master kept me up very late, and I slept for too long.”

 

“It’s alright,” Seijuro said. “Come lace up my sandals for me. I need to speak to you about something,”

 

Nagisa did as told, kneeling before Seijuro to take the laces in his hands.

 

“I cleared it with the Villa Master. I want your skills at my private meeting tonight. I’m holding council with two of my most trusted army captains, and we’ll want some entertainment.”

 

Nagisa paused for a moment in lacing one of the sandals. By ‘private party’ and ‘skills,’ Seijuro means he wants him to do more than just dance. “It will just be you and two of your men?”

 

“Yes. I know you can handle it,” Seijuro gently tapped Nagisa’s knee with his foot to get the other’s attention. “Your late master has had exciting parties in the past, with you as the center of entertainment.”

 

Nagisa nodded. Seijuro wasn’t wrong. Three men in one night is a little tricky, but he usually can make it so that only two end up fucking him. “I won’t let you down, Master,” Nagisa said. “Maybe I can have the rest of the day off so I can properly prepare my body for tonight?”

 

“That’s a smart idea,” he ruffled Nagisa’s hair. “Consider this your day off; until tonight that is.”

 

Nagisa kept his smile. “I promise to keep the wine flowing and the dancing erotic and-“

 

“Oh, don’t worry about serving. Rei will be there to do that.”

 

Nagisa felt his smile fade at the mention of Rei. “Rei will be there?”

 

“Does that bother you?” Seijuro gave him a crooked smirk. “Why would Rei being there bother you?”

 

Nagisa had to think of something fast that wouldn’t reveal his feelings. “I don’t think Rei likes me very much. I keep bumping into him by accident and making a mess of his work. I’m uncomfortable around him.”

 

“Oh, is that all?” Seijuro let out a laugh. “Rei likes everything to be a certain way. He’s very good at keeping books and helping write reports and matching numbers. Don’t be uncomfortable around him,” Seijuro said and stood up when Nagisa finished the ties. “In fact, I want to see him loosen up a bit in an environment when he’s not dancing.” Seijuro stroked his chin in thought. “Hm. I suppose you two could do a bit dancing…nah.” He waved it off. “Rei’s still a virgin, and any erotic dance in public is lost on him. He can watch and enjoy instead.”

 

Nagisa wished he could be as happy as Seijuro is right now, but the fact was that, for the first time in a long while, he was nervous. He will have to dance alone and let Seijuro and the others have his body while Rei watches. Nagisa will have to perform at his best or risk being punished, and he remembered Sosuke saying that Rei hates prostitutes. Tonight, that’s exactly what he’ll be, though he will not be making any money or receiving gifts. He will be there for Seijuro’s pleasure and nothing else.

 

After tonight, Rei will probably not look at him as a beautiful dancer anymore. All Rei will see is a whore. To top it all off, Rei is a virgin as well. Nagisa wouldn’t want his first time to be with someone like him either; a pleasure slave. Rei can have standards as a slave for his body is still pure. Rei deserves to be with a virgin, and Nagisa is far from innocent. A proud man like Rei will not want to stick it in a place where hundreds of men have been before.

 

Nagisa felt as if he might cry, but Seijuro’s next words kept the tears away.

 

“You can go. Help yourself to a bottle of wine. It’s on me.”

 

“Thank you, Master.” Wine will help. He’ll make sure he’s good and tipsy before the meeting begins. He’s going to need it.

 

* * *

 

Rei placed the last piece of document paper in its appropriate spot and let out a contented sigh of relief. Nagisa did make a mess of things, but Rei knew that, once again, he overreacted. Harshly. He shouldn’t have been carrying a tower of books and mixed up papers in his arms. He was going to sort the documents when he got to the winery, and then bumped into Nagisa. But Nagisa is to blame, too. The pink-eyed dancer seemed to always have his head in the clouds.

 

Nagisa’s constant energy and friendliness continued to make Rei anxious. He wished they had just remained those two stunning dancers hidden behind masks dancing in a world of color. It would have made his life easier rather than complicate it.

 

“Got it all together?”

 

Rei stood beside the table as Seijuro entered. “Yes. I had a bit of a mishap. How did you know?”

 

“Nagisa told me. I gave him the rest of the day off to prepare for tonight.” Seijuro sat at the desk and put his feet up on the table.

 

Rei wished he could push Seijuro’s feet away from the books and the papers before they get dirty. “Why? What is Nagisa doing tonight?”

 

Seijuro smirked and folded his hands behind his head, rocking back on the chair. “He’s going to be our entertainment. Your job tonight is to keep the wine flowing. Nagisa will do the rest.”

 

“I see.” Rei straightened his glasses.

 

“You want to join in?” Seijuro laughed at Rei’s bright red face. “Don’t be such a stick in the mud, Rei. The Festival of the Red Moons is coming up. Are you just going to keep hiding away in your room year after year?”

 

“Master, I haven’t found the right person, that’s all. I thank you for your kind offer, but I will pass on tonight’s…entertainment. I will be there to serve you and the others.”

 

“Suit yourself,” Seijuro yawned. “Where’s Rin been? And Momo? They’ve both seemed to have disappeared lately.”

 

“I’m afraid I haven’t seen much of either of them. Come to think of it; I haven’t seen Makoto much, either.”

 

“Hm. Lots of things seem to have changed once Nagisa and Haru showed up.” He looked at Rei. “Think it’s a coincidence?”

 

Rei shrugged his shoulders. “They are just new slaves that happen to be unique from others, so they strike interest. Now, we need to talk about the treasury. I’ve been going over the Villa Master’s spending for this month and-“

 

“Think the Villa Master will let me lay claim to Nagisa?”

 

Rei just blinked at him. “What?”

 

“If I want to claim Nagisa as my slave. Think he’ll let me?”

 

“I…no, I don’t believe so. The Villa Master put Nagisa in purple, so he is a lotus now. The Villa Master will not give him up and has claimed Nagisa. You’re only borrowing him.”

 

“Yeah, you’re right. I can still get what I want from Nagisa in the end. No need to buy the cow when the milk is free, right?” He grinned.

 

Rei forced himself to smile. “Yes, Master. That is a true saying.”

 

* * *

 

 

Nagisa shook the wine bottle upside down hoping that more would come out into the cup. He closed one eye and looked up into the bottle, noting that it is indeed empty. The whole wine bottle went down like water, and Nagisa’s body became relaxed. He even felt a little daring.

 

Since Aii can't be found, Nagisa had to ask Momo to bring him the ‘goodie basket,’ which is Nagisa’s term for sex oils and lube. He was half buzzed when Momo returned with the items. The guard looked everywhere but at Nagisa as he handed over the basket. Teasingly, Nagisa asked Momo if he wanted to help, but the guard had already run off.

 

He couldn’t read the words but can recognize them by texture and smell. There are five altogether with one being an aloe salve for after and a dildo. Nagisa sniffed each bottle, finding them to be reasonably standard lubes. He gasped when he smelled the fourth one. Nagisa has only used it a few times in the past because it’s expensive, but this lube is the type that numbs the inner walls of his backside. His sex trainer told him that it was created out of cruelty and not for the comfort of slaves. Some men only want to be the ones to enjoy sexual pleasure while their partner feels nothing. It also allows for rougher play without them having to hear the other beg to end the sex. Nagisa knows how to fake pleasure and orgasms (if he’s allowed to orgasm.) To him, it’s a relief, not a punishment, to be completely numb.

 

Before getting dressed, Nagisa prepared his lower body with the numbing lube and eased the dildo inside where it will remain until he's summoned. Just a hip scarf and a sarong are all that was given to him to wear. The hip scarf wouldn’t last long, and the sarong will become a dancing sash. The waist belt with little bells and anklets will be all he ends up wearing tonight anyway. Men love to hear the dainty jingling of tiny bells when they’re thrusting.

 

He lay back on the bed, flushed from the wine, and closed his eyes. Nagisa pictured Rei in his mind, letting the image drift off into naughtier thoughts. He smiled as he imagined Rei sitting at a desk with open books all around him. Nagisa would come up from behind, wrap his arms around Rei, and begin distracting him from work. Tiny kisses first on his neck, then collarbone, and shoulder; Rei will protect, but not push Nagisa away. Nagisa would let his hand travel over the toned muscles of Rei’s torso, lightly brushing over hardening nipples, slowly sliding inside the waist of the sash. And then Rei will swipe all the books from the desk, toss Nagisa onto it, and-

 

“Nagisa!”

 

Nagisa’s eyes shot open to see Rin smirking down at him, arms crossed. “Nothing’s even started yet, and you’re already moaning.”

 

“Is it time already?”

 

“Yeah. Seijuro told me to bring you.”

 

* * *

 

 

Seijuro's company, names Nagisa had forgotten (nor did he care to remember,) are the typical young men of power with big egos. At least they're handsome. They drank and laughed, swapping battle stories while Nagisa danced for them. Rei stood quietly, very quietly, in the far corner of Seijuro's office, looking everywhere but at Nagisa. 

 

One of the men offered his cup of wine to Nagisa, and Nagisa straddled the other's lap and drank a large gulp of the dark purple liquid. The sooner they all got drunk and fucked him, the sooner he can leave. Or so, that's what he thought because that's how it always worked in these situations. However, he never had someone he liked in the same room while this is going on, so when the man lowered the front of his pants to reveal an erect cock, Nagisa became nervous. 

 

Nagisa heard Seijuro command him to show the captain 'some proper respect,' and that's what Nagisa did. As he lowered himself onto the erect member, he tried to keep his thoughts focused on making the man cum as quickly as possible, and not on Rei watching him. No, not just watching him, but judging him. Nagisa had to pretend to like it, so he moaned deeply and rocked his body onto the hard cock inside of him. He had stretched his body well, and the lube kept him numb. 

 

Nagisa forced a smile when the man ejaculated inside of him, then removed himself. The second captain called him over, revealing a cock the same size and length as the first. Nagisa almost wanted to laugh. Just before these two arrived, Seijuro had fucked him first. The General is a skilled lover with a big cock; Nagisa will not fault Seijuro on that. These two men not only had the same cock but fucked the same way too. Nagisa easily made the second man cum in no time at all. 

 

"Will there be anything else, masters?" Nagisa asked, fully prepared to leave the room and hide in his own.

 

"Yeah, one more thing," Seijuro, flushed from too much wine, pointed at Rei. "You forgot someone."

 

Nagisa glanced at Rei who dropped the ceramic jug of wine, its contents breaking into numerous pieces.

 

"Master, no!" Rei protested. "It's not my place to be exposed in front of such high men of honor like-"

 

Seijuro scoffed at him. "Forget that nonsense! You're still a fucking virgin, Rei," Seijuro voice that little secret, which made the other two laugh out loud. "Your Master commands you to fuck the lotus!"

 

More laughter joined in with Rei's humiliation. Nagisa felt for Rei because he too was feeling more than embarrassed. Suddenly, the effects of the wine had worn off with the danger of the situation. 

 

"I...I can't! I really can't!" Rei continued to protest. 

 

"Nagisa," Seijuro jutted his thumb at Rei. "Get him started, will 'ya?" 

 

Nagisa didn't want to do it without Rei's consent, but he had to obey. Fear of the whip or punishment is what gave Nagisa the courage to approach Rei. Rei looked ready to climb the wall he was so mortified. Nagisa will do his best to try to make this as emotionally painless for Rei as he can. Nagisa remembers how naïve he had been during his first time. His own young body hadn't even experienced arousal when he saw an erect cock for the first time. Rei is already a man who has (or so Nagisa figures) had arousals and taken care of them. 

 

He's never had a man like Rei before; someone so frightened, uncomfortable, and inexperienced gazing upon his naked form. Chances are, Rei will not be able to maintain an erection with all these eyes upon him. Nagisa will still try his best to make Rei feel good. He should be thrilled to be this close to Rei's body with his own, but he can't find pleasure in it if Rei isn't consenting. As a pleasure slave and made whore, Nagisa couldn't stand the thought of someone's first time being forced upon them without consent, as was done to him. But, he is a slave, and Rei is also a slave. There is no justice for slaves that disobey their masters. 

 

Nagisa looked up through his lashes at Rei and managed a kind, gentle smile. Rei's chest is bare, so Nagisa first pressed his cheek to the hot, trembling flesh. His goal is to help Rei feel more comfortable in this sexual situation. He can hear Rei's heart racing beneath his ear. Nagisa whispered to him to relax, knowing Seijuro and the others couldn't hear. Nagisa turned his mouth to one of Rei's nipples and lapped at the nub with his tongue. Rei's body shuddered but made no other movements. Nagisa thought it best not to look up at Rei, so he kissed a path down the hard muscles of Rei's abdomen to the waist of the pants. No arousal. Nagisa kissed Rei's groin through the material of the pants and can smell his natural masculine musk, but Rei still isn't getting hard. 

 

The three men are snickering behind them. Nagisa pulled the waist of the pants down to tuck it under Rei's balls, yet still, there is no erection. One of the men made a joke about Rei being limp, so Nagisa tried to render that joke by taking Rei's soft member into his mouth. He sucked and licked, but nothing was happening. Above him, he can hear Rei pleading with Seijuro to stop this, that such an act to him is 'private.' Nagisa didn't take offense, but he did pull his mouth away. He looked up at Rei, who was looking down at him with wide, uncertain eyes through crooked glasses. 

 

'I'm sorry,' Nagisa mouthed to him. 

 

"You must be fucking dead if that didn’t turn you on, slave!" One of the men laughed. 

 

"Yeah, come over here, blondie! I'll make good use of that mouth!" Said the other. 

 

Seijuro took a long sip of wine and said, "Go on to your room, Rei," 

 

Nagisa watched as Rei fled the room.

 

"Aw, don't be sad, Goldie," said one. "Come sit in my lap, and I'll make it better!" Nagisa didn't move from his kneeling spot on the floor. "Hey! Whore! I'm talking to you!"

 

"Shut your mouth!" Seijuro hissed at his comrade.

 

"Defending a whore now?" Laughed the second man.

 

"He's my slave," Seijuro said, even though it wasn't true. "I'm kind enough to let you two borrow him, but you won't insult him!"

 

The two men fell silent, and then one said, "Apologies, General."

 

Seijuro finished his cup of wine with a grunt. "Nagisa, you're dismissed."

 

Nagisa wasted no time in hurrying out of the room.

 

* * *

 

Nagisa rests in bed, no longer drunk, and mortified by what transpired in that room. Even though it wasn’t by choice, the fact that he forced an act that in turn embarrassed Rei made him feel like a monster. Seijuro and the others were getting a big kick out of Rei’s horrifying reactions to the act. If he weren’t a slave, Nagisa would have refused to do such a thing to Rei and confront the others about it. But he had no choice, and neither did Rei. Rei couldn’t help that his body didn’t respond with so many eyes on him, and Nagisa is sure the jokes will continue for a long while. Next time he sees Rei, he will apologize. That is if Rei will even speak to him.

 

He fell asleep from exhaustion, but his sleep was anything but peaceful.

 

* * *

 

Haru sat on the edge of the stone fountain with his feet in the water up to his ankles. He wanted to submerge himself in the water yet decided against it due to the night guards walking around. No reason to let himself get whipped for doing something he enjoys. He should be in his bed at this time of night, but as a gift for his dancing, the Villa Master allowed him free range of the gardens. Like the rest of the villa, it has a high stone wall surrounding it with guards continually patrolling. Haru would never manage to escape successfully. Even if he did, he would likely die from starvation, thirst, or worse yet, get caught. He and Nagisa decided a long time ago that it is better to be alive and comfortable and hope that something changes. Haru knew chance to be hopeless, but he didn’t want to tell Nagisa that. Nagisa held all the hope for the both of them. 

 

He looked up at the night sky with the two moons looking back at him surrounded by millions of tiny stars. Soon it will be the Festival of the Red Moons, the ‘mating frenzy,’ which he is not looking forward to. Past Villa Masters would triple his and Nagisa's price and take joy in watching clients fight for the right to 'mount' them. Haru hated all words pertaining to sex, from primitive to poetic. His current Villa Master is kind enough, but will the old man do the same to him as so many others have done?

 

"Want some company?"

 

Haru looked over his shoulder to see Makoto approaching him, holding the sitar. "If you'd like."

 

Makoto sat beside Haru at the fountain, although he kept his sandaled feet on the ground. "It's a beautiful night to be in the gardens," Makoto said. "The moons are bright tonight, as are the stars." He strummed the strings of the sitar.

 

"Are you going to sing?" Haru asked him. 

 

Makoto laughed softly. "I would if I had any lyrics to it," He looked down at his sitar. "I can create music, but lyrics don't come so easily to me."

 

"It?" Haru questioned.

 

Makoto smiled at him. "I wrote a song about you,"

 

"A song?

 

"Mm-hm. I wrote it a long time ago after I learned how to play," He strummed the strings again. "I wrote it for myself, so I can play it whenever I feel lonely...whenever I missed you," Makoto kissed Haru's bare shoulder. "I broke a lot of sitar strings."

 

"Makoto...don't," Haru slid away to put a few inches between them. 

 

"Why not?"

 

"Because what we thought we could have had as children...it's different now. Our lives are different," Haru looked down at his feet through the clear water. "We can never belong to each other. Don't torture yourself with songs and music about me. About us. It won't ever be."

 

Makoto knew that Haru is right, but only in a few ways. Yes, Haru would have to sleep with other men when commanded, but Makoto would have Haru's heart and love. He'd rather have that than Haru's body. How can he convince Haru of that? He's honored that Haru wants them to be together if they could. How can they still have their hearts' desire but survive in this world?

 

"Can I just play some of it for you, Haru?"

 

"I don't want to hear music,"

 

Makoto smiled. "I think you'll like it."

 

Haru gave a small grunt. "You still don't listen."

 

Makoto began to play the tune he wrote for Haru.

 

Haru tried to ignore it, to focus on his toes in the water, yet something about the melody had him turning his full attention to Makoto. The music is light and uplifting. This is how Makoto thinks of him whenever the song is played? Haru certainly does not feel the way Makoto makes him in this song, though it hypnotizes him. A specific turn in the music has Haru unconsciously sliding back to return to Makoto's side. Makoto smiles longingly at him. Haru inched his face closer to Makoto's, forcing the other to stop playing, and pulled the turban away to reveal the olive colored hair. This is how Haru remembers Makoto before they were split apart. 

 

Makoto lays his sitar carefully beside him, resting his forehead against Haru's. "I just want your heart, Haru. My heart already belongs to you and no other. Let all those men have your body; I only want you."

 

Haru leaned forward and pressed his lips to Makoto's. It felt like the first time all over again; only they weren't children; they were adults. "You're a fool," Haru wanted more, but as Makoto leaned forward for another kiss, Haru pulled away. "I'm tired."

 

"Let me see you safely to your room then," Makoto offered. 

 

Haru pulled his feet from the water and slipped into his shoes. "I know the way," he saw the pitiful look on Makoto's face. "But it is a bit dark."

 

Makoto smiled happily, grabbed his sitar, and followed beside Haru.

 

* * *

 

 

Rin watched the pair leave together with a twitch of his upper lip. Haru willingly kissed Makoto after that silly song. Well, it wasn't a silly song. Makoto is talented when it comes to music; Rin couldn't fault his friend on that. Feeling jealous of Makoto left him with mixed feelings. They'd been through a lot together, and Rin is proud to have become a soldier and a guard so that he can protect Makoto (who failed miserably at soldier training, thus his current job.) Rin knew that Makoto would do anything for him; except give up Haru. It's possible they could share Haru, but even Rin knew that wouldn't work out. He and Makoto will end up pulling at Haru's arms like children fighting over a toy.

 

As of now, it is clear that Haru has chosen Makoto, but Rin wasn't ready to be defeated yet. Tomorrow is the beginning of the Games where members from all the villas begin to compete to bring honor and respect to their houses. Rin is confident that he will beat the competition in swordplay tomorrow afternoon, and it begins at this villa. Challengers and their villa representatives have already arrived; two of which have gone to enjoy a night of fun with Seijuro. Wait until Haru sees his fighting skills and strength! Rin can offer Haru protection in more ways than just physical; Makoto is only a slave. To keep his friendship with Makoto, both of them will have to rely on Haru's choice in the end.

 

Rin turned away from the now empty garden and proceeded to his room. The Villa Master offered him anything he wants if he wins in the first round of the games tomorrow, and Rin knew just what he wanted as his prize.

 

TBC


	5. A Token

** Chapter 5: A Token **

The following morning, Nagisa woke up early due to his fitful night of broken sleep. He stepped out of his room to peek inside Haru's, who is still sleeping. Then he entered into the central servants’ hall where most, if not all, are also sleeping. Nagisa figured it must be very, very early. It didn't matter, though. After what happened last night, Nagisa feared he wouldn't be able to get a good nights' rest for a long while. Unless he can talk to Rei about it. 

When he stepped outside, the sky is still dark with only the hint of purple and orange beneath it. The villa is eerily silent this early in the morning. 

"Yo, Nagisa," 

Nagisa turned to see Momo standing with the spear resting on his shoulders. He appeared to be stretching his back and shoulders with the weapon.

"What are you doing up so early? I heard Aii couldn't even get you out of bed yesterday."

Nagisa gave him a small smile. "I couldn't sleep. When do you sleep, Momo? I always see you awake."

Momo flashed him a laughing grin. "I have too much energy to stay asleep for long! Plus, out at night, I'm free to hunt and collect stag beetles!" He dropped the spear to reach into his black pants pocket. "Look! I found this guy last night!"

Nagisa glanced at the large bug in Momo's cupped hands. "Yup. That's a stag beetle." 

"I can't wait to show it to Aii!"

"He likes stag beetles too?" 

"Well, not really, but he pretends that he does so as to not hurt my feelings,"

"I see," Nagisa noticed the faint blush on Momo's cheeks. He raised a blonde brow and asked, "If you like Aii that much, maybe give him something that's NOT a stag beetle?"

Momo became flustered. "What? I-I didn't mean it like that! We're just friends!" Momo's shoulders slumped heavily after he tucked the insect back in his pocket. "Besides, he likes someone else. I know he does...and I know who it is, too."

'That would be Rin,' Nagisa answered to himself. 

"But Sosuke likes Rin, too! Why can't Sosuke just take Rin and leave Aii to himself? It's so obvious that Rin drools all over Haru,"

Nagisa couldn't deny it.

"And I hate seeing the pained look of hurt and heartbreak on Aii's face whenever Haru's name comes up on Rin's lips."

It was best not to mention anything about Rin and Aii's fling the other night to Momo. He really didn't have time for this now, nor is there anything more he can say to Momo. 

"Just try something other than stag beetles. I should be going now. See you later, Momo."

"You going to the games?" Momo called after him.

Nagisa remembered the Villa Master saying about 'games', though he didn't fully listen. "If the Villa Master wants me to go, then I will."

"Maybe I'll see you there," Momo said. "And Nagisa!"

Nagisa looked over his shoulder at Momo.

"Don't tell anyone."

"I won't."

As Nagisa wandered around the garden, he couldn't help but think how much he can relate to Aii, Momo, and Sosuke. Nagisa wondered if they should start a group and call it, 'Lonely Hearts,' or something like that. Rin and Haru are the ones that so many go after, and Nagisa still could not fully understand why or how. Both Aii and Sosuke love Rin, but Rin loves Haru. Haru only loves Makoto. Ideally, Sosuke should be with Rin and Momo with Aii. If Aii ends up with Rin, that leaves Sosuke and Momo out in the cold- with him. 

Nagisa can't keep thinking about other people's problems when he has his own to sort out. He made the decision to go to Rei's room, but only after the sun comes up. If Rei was sleeping, Nagisa didn’t' want to wake him up and cause more grief. So, he sat with his back against a flowing tree, knees to his chest, and just stared at the grass. It's time to escape to 'Nagisa Land.' 

'Nagisa Land' has changed since being reunited with his friends and meeting Rei. The setting is always the same, however. Lush green fields, open meadows, cows grazing and deer prancing. In his world, there is no slavery, only freedom. He lives in a quaint little house with his friends living next door. He pictures Makoto tending to the little farm with Haru placing a fresh loaf of bread on the open window sill. Adding to the scene, Rin is across the way, waving at him, with Aii standing by his side. The dog pacing behind Rin looked suspiciously like Sosuke, and a large stag beetle passed by. 

Nagisa opened his eyes to let out a little giggle before closing them again and returning to the scene. Now he is coming home from a long day of playing in the fields; cashing butterflies, swimming in the river, and lounging under trees. When he enters the little house, a warm fire burns in the hearth with a pot of delicious soup bubbling over the flame. Seated at the table is Rei, a book open, reading silently to himself. Nagisa calls Rei's name, and when Rei looks up, he smiles and closes the book to greet him. Rei picks Nagisa up by the waist and swings him around merrily, telling Nagisa how happy he is to see him. 

They eat together, watch the sunset, and then go to bed to make love. After, Nagisa lays his head in Rei's lap as Rei reads out loud to him from a book. Rei's voice is even and smooth as he speaks, relaxing Nagisa into a peaceful sleep.

Nagisa is jerked awake by the shout of a guard telling him to get up and move. He'd have to revisit Nagisa Land later. 

Upon reaching Rei's room, he saw that the door is open, meaning Rei is either inside or has left. Nagisa gently calls Rei's name, but there comes no answer. Though he knows it's wrong, Nagisa enters Rei room anyway, looking around the small area filled mostly with shelves of books. Rei's bed is neatly made and his desk is spotless, not even a quill out of place. Nagisa had to remove his pointed slippers to feel the lush carpet under his bare feet. Rei's room is really nice, Nagisa thought.

And then, his eyes caught sight of Rei's dancing blade mounted on the wall. Nagisa remembers the feel of that blade against his skin during their first dance. He walked to it as if mesmerized by the beautiful weapon. He first twirled the beaded tassels hanging from the bottom, then inched his fingers to the hilt itself. Nagisa lifts it from the mount and has to hold it with both hands. It was heavy! How could Rei move and dance with it as if he were wielding a large feather? Nagisa brought the blade carefully to his face, cautiously pressing his cheek to the largest side of the scimitar. His breathing started to increase as he once again pictured this blade stripping him of his clothing. This blade is the side of Rei that Nagisa wants to see again. 

"What are you doing?"

Frightened, Nagisa dropped the blade and on instinct tried to catch it. "OW!" The scimitar left a long, clean cut on his right palm. He let out a cry and gripped his wrist with the wound, watching rivulets of blood trickle out.

"Nagisa! You're hurt!" Rei had returned, and when he saw Nagisa's bleeding palm, he quickly grabbed a dancing sash and pressed it to the wound. "What on earth were you doing holding a scimitar? It's dangerous if one does not know how to use it!"

Nagisa no longer cared about the wound on his palm, rather the sash that belongs to Rei. "I was just admiring it," Nagisa said. "I remember how well you danced with it, and I wanted to see what it felt like to hold. It's heavy."

"Yes, it is," Rei lifted the sash to check the cut, then reapplied pressure. "But I have trained with it for many years. My arms are used to its weight, so it feels light in my grip." He guided Nagisa over to his bed so they can sit while he tends to the wound. "Nagisa...I have a strong feeling you didn't come here to look at my sword,"

Nagisa looked at the floor. He wasn't sure how to bring it up. "I'm sorry, Rei." That is all he could say. Words are escaping him. 

"It's...It's alright, Nagisa. You were only doing what was commanded of you."

"But...I feel like I forced you," Nagisa kept his gaze anywhere but at Rei. "I was only trying to make you feel good so you wouldn't be so upset and uncomfortable...but those men were making it very hard for you."

"Exactly. I don't blame you, Nagisa," Rei wrapped Nagisa's palm in the sash and tied it tight on the top. "Public acts of...that nature...are not..." Rei wanted to go further in his explanation but remembered he is talking to Nagisa, who is uneducated. "I find them distasteful. I don't like them at all. Sex and everything that goes with it belongs behind closed doors, in private. It's not beautiful when two people are forced to have sex in front of others."

Nagisa smiled softly. "Haru says the same thing, and I agree with it. But, I have no choice. If I do what I'm told, and do it right, I live to see another day. I get food in my belly, a warm bed to sleep in, and I have security. I can't escape this life," he lowered his eyes and shoulders. "So, I try to make the best out of any situation. If I didn't," he let out a breath of a laugh. "I would go mad." 

"How do you stand it?" Rei asked. "How do you manage to endure what those men do to you all the time?"

Nagisa was never shy when talking about sex, but somehow it feels different with Rei.

"Please, tell me. I want to know."

"I can't speak for all pleasure slaves," Nagisa started. "But the way I survive it is all by acting. I make men think I desire them. That is the only time I wield any power. I play into their egos, I tell them how handsome they are, how their wives are ungrateful, and how good they make me feel by just a touch alone. I've come to find that, many of the men who pay to sleep with me are looking for comfort, and I offer that to them. In return, they usually aren't rough with me, and they finish quicker."

"Then, you're saying you manipulate them so that you can feel pleasure?"

Nagisa did laugh out loud with that statement. "Pleasure? Oh Rei, I don't even know what real pleasure is," he finally faced Rei with a sad smile. "I know how to fake it. I've been doing this for so long that it's just a job like any other."

They were silent for a few moments, and then Rei asked, "When did the Empire first take you?"

"I was ten," Nagisa answered. "Haru, Makoto, and Rin were eleven. The Empire raided our village and took us away, splitting us up. Since we were still too young, Haru and I were forced to do household chores, and when I turned twelve...I was bought for my virginity, and after that, was sent with Haru to train as pleasure slaves. And now, here I am, seventeen and doing the same thing. How did you rise so high in the slave ranks, Rei?"

Rei didn't like hearing Nagisa's story because it angered him, and he didn't like being angry. The prostitution of children is barbaric and disgraceful, yet it is a law that is permitted signed by the Sultan himself. 

"My father was a scholar. He was a brilliant man, and he taught me and my brother everything."

"Did your father sell you?"

"No. Both our parents passed away and our uncle wanted nothing to do with us. We were still children. Like you, he and I were split up, and I haven't seen nor heard from my older brother since then. But, I was bought by this villa. When I was presented to the Villa Master, I started telling him my skills, speaking to him in three different languages, and showing how I can read and write. The Villa Master was kind to me, making me a page slave to study under him until I was gifted to Seijuro."

"And, when did you learn to dance?"

Rei smiled. "I saw two Sword Dancers my first night here at the villa. I thought they were remarkable...how they can wield a weapon meant to kill while showing that it can also be beautiful. In the short of it, something dangerous can still be beautiful." 

Nagisa liked Rei's words and decided to use them to his advantage. "I do things you don't like, but I'm also beautiful, inside and out, right?" Nagisa has never thought less of himself as a person, only the life he was dealt. 

"I want there to be no more talk about last night," Rei said. "I want you to go and get your hand properly looked at by the physician."

"Can you walk me there?" Nagisa asked him.

"I'm certain you know the way,"

"Yeah, but I would like some company." Nagisa coyly looked up at Rei through his lashes. "Please Rei?" 

Rei gave it a moment's thought, finally agreeing to Nagisa's request because of those big, round eyes looking at him fondly. After last night, he can't look at Nagisa without seeing the slave being passed around for sex. Rei understands that Nagisa has to do what he is told, and not all slaves strike lucky like Rei has. He even decided to give in to Nagisa's friendly affections only to avoid the young man's pushiness with wanting to be friends. Maybe even more than friends...

As they head to the physician, Rei walks steadily with perfect posture, his hands folded neatly behind his back. He tries not to look at Nagisa practically skipping beside him, humming a tuneless melody. Rei thought about politely scolding Nagisa for his uncouth behavior, then decided against it. Nagisa isn't doing any harm. Not currently, anyway.

"So, Rei, what do you like to do for fun other than dance?" Nagisa asked.

"Fun? I don't have much time for leisure activities since I'm always working for the Villa Master and Seijuro, then I need to find time to practice my dance skills."

"Hmmm," Nagisa bounced in front of him, forcing Rei to pause. "I think you need to have more fun!"

Rei let out a heavy sigh. "Nagisa, I do not have the leisure time that you do. There is always work that has to be done for this villa."

Nagisa pouted. "You can't tell me that reading books all day is fun?"

Rei's eyebrow twitched. "I find reading to be delightful as well as entertaining. In other words, reading is my fun." Rei stepped around Nagisa and continued on.

Nagisa only figures Rei finds work fun because that's all he's been forced to do. "Hey Rei, why don't we practice dance together sometime? We'll be dancing together anyway, and you can show me some of the dances you've created!"

"You are interested in seeing what dances that I have-?

"Yes! I love dancing a lot, and I know you do, too! Why not train together?" Nagisa grinned.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea...after what happened last night-"

"I don’t judge you, Rei," Nagisa said. "You didn't do anything wrong either."

"But I know they're all having a good laugh at me," Rei sighed.

"Then all the more reason for us to practice together! I don’t want you to be so afraid of me, Rei! Next time it happens, if it happens, you'll know me more, and it won't be so bad. Right?" Nagisa grinned again.

Rei slid his glasses up. "I...I suppose that could work," 'He's so persistent.' "But all I ask, Nagisa, is that when we practice together, it is strictly practice and nothing else." 

"Sure, okay! I can do that!" 'That won't last long,' Nagisa said to himself. 

After the short trip to the physician, Rei had to leave Nagisa to attend to some last minute work before they would all make their way to the villa's gaming arena. Nagisa bid Rei goodbye and returned to the servants' quarters for his breakfast, then sought out Haru. 

"So, Haru, are you going to be cheering for me today?"

Nagisa heard Rin's voice in Haru's room.

"Since when do I cheer?" Haru replied.

"Can I have at least a clap or two when I win?" Rin asked.

"...sure."

Nagisa took that moment to enter Haru's room. "Good morning guys!"

Rin greeted him first. "Hey, Nagisa. You've got a bit of food on your cheek."

Nagisa quickly wiped it off. "Can I play in these games too, Rin?"

"Ah, they're not those types of games, Nagisa. Not like the ones in the village. These are games of strength, skill, and honor. Only guards, soldiers, and champions participate in these games. We fight and win for our villas. I'm the Champion of the Purple Lotus." Rin stated the last part proudly. 

Nagisa clapped his hands. "That's great, Rin! I know you'll do great today! I can't wait to watch you. And don’t worry," he went over to Haru and pressed their cheeks together. "We'll both be rooting for our best friend!"

Haru is used to Nagisa's cheerfulness and let the smaller man do as he liked without complaint. 

"Then you'd both best be getting ready," Rin said. "You'll be staying with the Villa Master, and Aii should have your ceremonial clothing ready, too."

"More new clothes?" Nagisa clapped his hands. "I'll have to thank the Villa Master later! Are they purple?"

"I'm not sure," he chuckled. "But I don't really pay attention to all the fashion. Nagisa, why don't you run and get the clothes? I want to talk to Haru."

Nagisa looked back and forth at them, then gave a nod. "Okay, sure. I'll be back shortly!"

Rin watched Nagisa leave and even glanced around the wall of the door to make sure his friend wasn't eavesdropping. Haru wasn't looking at him, only focused on his breakfast, which he ate slowly. "Hey, Haru,"

Haru paused in eating. "What is it now?"

"I want you to give me something of yours, anything, that I can wear on my person when I compete in the games." Haru gave him a bland, quizzical look. "A token, that's all. A tie, a ribbon, a sash, something to bring me luck."

"Why?"

"Because I won't just be fighting for the villa, I'll be fighting for myself and for you,"

"For me? Why would you fight for me?"

"I'll be fighting in your name," Rin said. 

Between Makoto's music and Rin's noble pledge, Haru was at a loss. "Take whatever you want," He said to Rin.

"It won't be the same unless you give it to me," Rin countered. "Come on, Haru. We've been friends for years! Let it be a token of friendship. How's that?"

Haru considered it. "Friendship only." He stated firmly, then pulled out the clothing basket from under his bed. He fished through it until he came upon a sheer blue face veil. He walked up to Rin and held it out to him. "You may take this." 

Rin smiled when he took the veil from Haru, making sure to brush their fingers together. "You will cheer me on, right? "

Haru gave a silent nod.

Nagisa was thankful that he did not have to wear any bells or coins because the crowd of people that showed up to watch the games cheered loud enough to hurt his ears. Commoners stood while the nobles sat upon their daises. He had never seen this side of the villa to realize how close it is to the city. All he ever saw is vineyards and farmland. The crowd is voicing their excitement, and Nagisa is beginning to get caught up in that excitement, though he kept his mouth closed. 

Nagisa and Haru sat on opposite sides of the Villa Master on the highest dais, wearing matching outfits of purple harem pants and jewelry. Haru's gems are blue while Nagisa's are pink; this is a sign of their status as pleasure slaves and a symbol of their Villa Master's wealth. Nagisa loved the jewelry, but Haru didn't seem to care too much about it. Nagisa's diadem was too big and it kept slipping down over his eyes whenever he moved his head too much. The same can't be said for Haru's because the other sat perfectly still while the chosen champions began their contests. 

Nagisa kept searching the dais for Rei. Makoto is present to aid the Villa Master, and although Seijuro is supposed to be here, both the general and Rei are absent. Nagisa pushed the diadem back up onto his head for the hundredth time. 

When it came time for Rin's turn, Nagisa grinned across at Haru, waving his hand to get his friend's attention. 'It's Rin!' Nagisa mouthed.

Haru only looked back at the ring as Rin stepped out with a wooden sword. Only wooden swords are permitted in these games, though Nagisa could guess that getting hit by one will still hurt. Rin was well-matched with an opponent from a neighboring villa, and Nagisa took the chance at shouting out 'Go Rin' to cheer his friend. He wasn't scolded but was given a tender rub atop his head by the Villa Master. Haru didn't seem interested or impressed, but Makoto kept covering his own eyes and peeking through fingers. Nagisa had to chuckle at that. 

There were a few times that Rin hit the ground, but in the end,  he came out the victor. Nagisa clapped manically, looking at both Makoto and Haru while saying, "That's our Rin!" Makoto just glanced up towards the sky, thanking the gods for Rin coming out safe and sound. 

Only Haru noticed the piece of blue tied around Rin's wrist and he felt the corner of his mouth lift slightly in a smile. The bastard never failed to surprise him.

Nagisa heard and felt someone climbing the dais steps and hoped it was Rei. Sadly, it was only Seijuro. Nagisa waited for Rei to come up behind the other, but Seijuro is here alone. The Villa Master asked where Rei is, and Seijuro answered that Rei had fallen a bit ill and is resting, though it is nothing serious. Nagisa, still worried for the health of Rei, boldly tugged on the Villa Master's long white toga. 

"Villa Master, may I have permission to care for Rei? He's my friend, and I want to help him." What Nagisa just asked is punishable by a beating, but the Villa Master was kind and agreed to let him go to Rei. Nagisa was overjoyed and again, boldly kissed the Villa Master's hand. Sosuke was summoned to accompany Nagisa back to the villa, and the teal-eyed guard let Nagisa know that he did not enjoy being pulled away from the games. Nagisa could feel the negative energy pouring off of Sosuke, and it was humorous in a way because the big guard is annoyed that he is missing Rin in the games. Well, that was too bad. Rei is sick and he needed Nagisa to help him get better. Nagisa had never taken care of any sick person, though whenever he was sick, his sisters cared for him. So, he'll just do what they did for him. Although putting Rei in a woman's dress might make the poor man die right there on the bed. Come to think of it, his sisters putting him in their dresses didn't make him feel better at all! And there was that toad he kept as a pet and took care of, but...that was in the past. It's easier to believe the toad just hopped away after Nagisa forgot about it. 

Once he reached Rei's room, Sosuke left him flat, which was fine. Nagisa knocked on Rei's door first, heard an 'enter', and pushed it open.

Rei lay on his bed with a cold cloth across his eyes. It's only a bad headache, and he insisted on going to the games with Seijuro, but his master commanded that he stay here and rest. Rei was grateful for the decision. The headache seemed to reach his belly too, though he knew it will pass in time. He lifted the corner of the cloth to look towards the door, and his face went ashen as he saw the grinning face of Nagisa.

"Oh, dear gods above..." He whispered under his breath.

"Hi, Rei!" Nagisa quickly lowered his voice as he closed the door behind him. "I heard from Seijuro that you weren't feeling good, so the Villa Master gave me permission to come tend to you!"

Rei pulled the cloth from his eyes. "It's really not necessary, Nagisa. I thank you for your kindness and willingness to care for me, but this happens enough times that I know it will pass. I just need rest," he looked at Nagisa. "And quiet."

Nagisa nodded firmly. "Right! Oops, too loud?"

"Yes, too loud. Soft voices, please." Rei lays back down and placed the cloth back over his eyes. "Noise hurts my head right now."

"Oh, your head hurts?" Nagisa whispered. "Then put the cloth on your forehead, silly!"

Rei crossed his eyes in annoyance beneath the cloth. "Nagisa, I think I know my body better than you do, and this cloth needs to stay on my eyes."

Nagisa looked at the nightstand and saw Rei's glasses. "Maybe you need different glasses to help you see?" He offered. 

"I tend to strain my eyes reading too much,"

"Then don’t read so much!"

"It's my job to read and write documents, Nagisa."

"Well, tell me what I can do to make you feel better?"

Rei chuckled. "Honestly, just sit quietly and don't touch anything."

"Okay, Rei."

Nagisa sat for all but four minutes until he started to grow bored. He jumped up when a knock came at the door, rushing to open it. It was a kitchen slave with a tray of...things. An empty bowl, a spoon, a teapot, and six different little bottles of something. 

"Rei requested it from the physician," said the slave.

"Oh, thank you. I'll take it for him!"

Rei sat up quickly and urged Nagisa not to drop the tray. "Bring the tray to me, okay?"

"What is all this stuff, Rei?" Nagisa asked as he placed the tray of items on Rei's lap. 

"I'm going to make myself an herbal soup," He answered. "It helps to ease my stomach."

"Your belly hurts, too? Want me to rub it?"

Rei gave him a strange look. "I think I'll pass on that."

Nagisa pouted at Rei, but it was short lived once Rei began making the soup. Nagisa watched curiously as Rei took out different amounts of ingredients from the little jars and placed them in the bowl. Once finished, he poured the hot water from the teapot into the bowl. Nagisa watched the ingredients swirl in the water, turning it a dark, ugly green. His nose wrinkled at the smell.

"It smells terrible,"

"Well, it's medicine," Rei answered, stirring the soup with his spoon. His head became dizzy and his eyes blurred suddenly. He let out a little groan and dropped the spoon.

"Rei? Are you alright?"

"I need to lay down," Rei tried to move the tray but Nagisa easily did it for him. He lowered himself back onto the bed, feeling his senses slowly coming back to him. 'Damn these headaches!'

"Let me help you, Rei."

"There's nothing you can do."

"I can feed you the soup," Nagisa offered. "That way you don't have to sit up."

Rei figured there is no way Nagisa can mess this up, so he agreed. The first spoonful dripped onto his chest and he hissed at the swift burning sensation. Nagisa quickly apologized, and for the next spoonful, he blew on it to cool it. This time it worked, and the rest after that. Rei liked having someone take care of him like this. He's always been independent in everything he's done and continues to do so, but it's a nice change to relax for once. When the soup was finished, his stomach already started to feel better. 

"Nagisa? May I ask you something?"

"Sure, Rei."

"Why did you specifically come here? I'm a grown man. I can take care of myself."

"I know," Nagisa took the cloth and dipped it into the bowl of water on the nightstand, wringing it out. "But I wanted to help you Rei because I like you." He placed the wet cloth over Rei's eyes. "I like you a lot." He was glad Rei couldn't see his blush. 

"Nagisa...we barely know each other. You can't say that you like me so much after one dance."

"I can't explain it myself, Rei. But what I feel for you is unlike anything I've ever felt before. It makes me feel so happy that I...that I don’t want to lose this feeling. I want to keep it...even make it grow."

Rei didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent. 

"I know I bother you a lot...but I'm trying to make up for it! I don't have any smart skills like you do, but I can try in other ways." 

Rei lifted the cloth from his eyes. "You really feel that way, Nagisa?" Nagisa nodded. "But, how? How can you say you like me so much after one dance?"

"I just told you. It just happened."

"But nothing ' just happens' for 'no reason!' There is always logic and always reasons behind everything."

Nagisa's body tensed up and he said, "W-what about love?" 

"Love?"

"Love is a reason." He glanced at Rei. 

"Nagisa, love is not instant. It takes time and it grows."

"Maybe for you, but not for me," Nagisa grinned. "And I'm going to prove it to you one way or another," He suddenly had an idea. "I've got it! Let's make a deal!"

"A deal? What for?"

"Will you teach me how to read and write my name?"

That peaked Rei's interest. He always liked teaching. "I would be honored to tutor you, but when will we find the time?"

"I don't know, we'll manage somehow. But if I can find a reason that ISN'T love during our tutoring, then I win!"

"Win what?"

"That sometimes love at first sight is true. Or rather, love at first dance."

"Nagisa, if you promise to work hard and do your best to be a good student...then maybe something will happen between us that doesn’t involve dancing."

Nagisa couldn't believe it! He must have said the magic words for Rei is taking him up on the offer of growing closer to one another. And, he will focus on learning so that he can be smart like Rei, which will make Rei like him more. 

"Ah, forgive me, Nagisa, but the soup makes me a little sleepy."

"I'll stay right here unless I'm called away," Nagisa said. "Um, Rei? May I lay beside you?

Rei was hesitant to let Nagisa into his bed. He's never had another man in his bed before. "I...suppose." Rei kept the cloth over his eyes as Nagisa crawled into bed beside him, cuddling up against him as a lover word. He felt Nagisa tuck his head under his chin and the blonde hairs made his neck tickle. But he noticed an alluring smell in Nagisa's hair. 

"Is that spider lily?" Rei asked.

"Mmhm. My favorite smell, after roses."

Rei inhaled the sweet aroma of spider lily. He took a chance and wrapped his arm around Nagisa, holding the smaller man against him. Nagisa squeezed him tightly, trying to burrow inside of Rei. Rei had to admit, it is adorable. 

'This is nice,' he thought to himself. 'But can I really teach Nagisa?' 

Rin anxiously paced inside the Villa Master's room, dressed in only his guard's pants, and with three cups of wine in his belly. The Villa Master agreed to let him sleep with Haru tonight as a reward; so long as he got to watch. So, when Makoto walked in with a tray of fruit, Rin's anxiety rose to new heights. He wasn't expecting Makoto to be here! Whenever the Villa Master wants to watch a 'mounting,' he's alone with only a guard outside the door. Rarely does Makoto stay in the room with the Villa Master. Rin didn't know how to tell Makoto that it will be Haru who will be with them in the room tonight. Yes, he is jealous of Makoto's relationship with Haru, but Makoto is still his friend, and he didn't mean for the night to be like this. Makoto wasn't supposed to be here.

Makoto turned those ever-trusting green eyes to him and said,"Good evening, Rin."

**TBC**

** ***Thanks for the support guys! I got this chapter posted pretty quickly!*** **


	6. Instincts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Sorry, I'm a little late in updating. Lots of yummy parts in this chapter to make up for it! Thanks for the support!***

**Chapter 6: Instincts**

After Rei’s headache had gone, and the games continuing, he offered to teach Nagisa how to write his name. Rei kept his patience with Nagisa, even when Nagisa insisted that it is just too hard and that he’ll never be able to get it. With an even tone and encouraging words, Rei guided Nagisa with each quill stroke. Nagisa tried one last time on his own, but he didn’t want Rei to look. Rei sat on the bed with his back to Nagisa, listening to the soft scratching sounds of the quill.

“I did it!”

Rei returned to the desk and looked over Nagisa’s shoulder at the improved, yet still sloppy, penmanship. Nagisa has penned his name, by himself, without Rei guiding him.

“That’s great, Nagisa!” Rei picked up the paper to look closely at it. “A few more practice sessions, and you’ll have smoother writing!”

Nagisa beamed with pride. “Maybe I can have handwriting like you!”

Rei chuckled. “Perhaps you will, so long as you keep practicing. Why don’t you try again?”

“Nah, my fingers hurt, and they’re stained black on the tips!”

“Go and wash them in the basin.” Rei looked at his own hands, which are tinted a faded black from years of writing with ink.

“Hey Rei, let's do something else,” Nagisa said as he washed the black from his fingertips. “No one’s back from the games yet.”

Rei thought about it for a moment. He knew that both the Villa Master and Seijuro are both busy tonight with previous engagements. They’re the ones who have the likely need for his services, but if they’re both occupied, then spending more time teaching Nagisa something new won’t interfere with anything. He did want to get ahead on some documents, but they can wait. Seeing how proud he helped make Nagisa feel made him want to see that victorious grin again.

“Alright. What did you have in mind?”

“Mmmm…dancing!” Nagisa finished wiping his hand with the cloth and bounced over to Rei. “I want you to show me your dances! The ones you created! I want to learn them so we can dance together!”

“Dance together for the crowds?”

Nagisa shook his head and took Rei’s hands in his. He began to feel a little bashful with what he is going to say next. “No, not for crowds…just for us.”

“I don’t understand,”

“Have you shown anyone your new dances?”

“No. I’ve just mentioned them.”

“Then, let’s make your special dances our secret dances! Together!”

“Together?”

“Yes! Why do we always have to dance for the pleasure of others? Let’s do it for each other. We’ll have our own secret dances away from everyone else! Let’s have something special for ourselves!”

Rei wanted to shove Nagisa away and tell the pushy man to stop bothering him with such things. Nagisa clearly wants more to happen between them, and Rei isn’t sure that it will work out. He wished he could understand what Nagisa sees in him to try and push a relationship. However, the one thing he knows he likes about Nagisa is the way he dances, and the two of them are expected to perform together often with how well their first dance went. To have a secret dance of their own, away from prying eyes and perverted guests, gave Rei the courage to accept Nagisa’s idea.

“A dance that is all our own?” Rei reiterated. “I have to say; I do like that idea. You’re a very skilled dancer, and I would like for you to teach me a few moves.”

Nagisa’s eyes lit up. “Really? You want me to teach YOU something?”

“It’s never too late to stop learning, Nagisa,” Rei replied.

“In that case, I’ll go first!” Nagisa ushered Rei to sit back on the bed. “How many dances do you know?” Rei rattled a number off hand. “Then you don’t know the ‘Lure of the Cobra’ dance.”

“I haven’t heard of that one.” ‘Do I want to see it?’ Rei asked himself. The word ‘lure’ suggests something seductive, and a cobra is a deadly snake.

“There’s two parts to it. The first part is a solo dance, where the man or woman is a ‘snake.’ The second part is a couple’s dance, where one is the snake, and the other is the snake charmer. Both parts can be performed separately or together. I usually performed it on the night before the Festival of the Red Moons in a solo performance."

"Let me see the solo part first," Rei said. "Then, you can begin teaching me the part of the snake charmer."

It didn’t take long for Nagisa to begin the dance, and as Rei watched he concluded that his assumptions were right. The dance is exotic, with snake-like gyrations. Nagisa skill in dancing allowed him to easily speak as he moved, explaining every detail from type of costume to a flick of the wrist. What Nagisa lacked in academics, he made up for with his detailed knowledge of dancing. Rei remembered his mother telling him that everyone has their strengths, and Nagisa’s is dancing, and being very pushy, and straightforward, and friendly.

If the solo dance weren't instructed while performed, Rei would likely have become aroused. Nagisa has a fantastic body; lean and tight with lightly toned muscles. 

“I can see why that dance is issued during the festival,” Rei commented.

“Now I can show you your part!”

Rei stood up to stand before Nagisa. “Is my part similar to any other dance?”

“Um, probably the closest is the ‘Black Gazelle.’”

“Ah, yes. I know that dance.”

“It has the same idea of the hunter and the gazelle. The snake goes after the charmer, but the snake charmer wins, just like the hunter wins.”

Nagisa knew the snake charmer’s dance and had Rei mirror his movements. He preferred Rei with the sword, but engaging in any activity with Rei is better than not being near the man at all. Nagisa didn’t know when it happened, but their dance lesson rolled into the Black Gazelle. They fell into the routine, and for once, Nagisa was dancing for himself. Nagisa took a chance and stopped the dance to press himself up against Rei. He felt Rei's body tense, which made it easy for Nagisa to usher Rei to the bed.

"Don't push me away," Nagisa whispered while laying atop of Rei. 

"Nagisa, this isn't-"

"If you didn't like this, you would have pushed me away by now," Nagisa countered. "I like you, Rei. Why can't you accept that?"

"You belong to the Villa Master," Rei said. "And Seijuro has taken a shine to you as well." He reached his hands up to place them on Nagisa's narrow waist. "We're slaves, Nagisa. We can't belong to each other."

"Yes, we can." 

Rei sighed. "In theory, yes. In actuality, it's not safe for either of us, given our positions." He let his hands travel up Nagisa's naked back, marveling at the smooth skin. "A secret dance is fine, but-" Rei couldn't finish speaking because Nagisa's lips pressed against his in a kiss. Nagisa's lips are soft and warm.

"You didn't break from the kiss," Nagisa said when he pulled away. "It's okay to like it, Rei. There's only us here right now. No one else." 

Rei looked up into the sweet smiling face and bright magenta eyes that struck something deep within his core. He'd never felt it before, and it was different from regular arousal. Rei recognized that Nagisa is a prize for any person to have, and it's unreal that someone like Nagisa has such a deep interest in him. 

"You look like you want to kiss me again," Nagisa said. 

"I don't know how..."

Nagisa kissed Rei's nose and removed the red glasses. "You've seen public fuckings before, right?"

Rei blushed at that. "Yes, but that's an entirely different matter."

"It's okay, Rei. I don’t mind teaching you a few things," he kissed the corner of Rei's mouth. "We won't do anything else other than kiss. I promise you. But for now, let me take the lead."

Rei gave in and surrendered to Nagisa's caressing lips and gentle touch. He picked up on the act of kissing quickly, and when Nagisa began to moan, he rolled his body over so Nagisa is under him. Rei found himself lying between Nagisa's long legs and broke the kiss to let out a groan when their arousals touched. It ignited a fire of need deep inside him. 

"You're a fast learner," Nagisa breathed out when he escaped a kiss. 

"I'm going on instincts, too," Rei replied while rubbing their groins together. His body shuddered when Nagisa started to kiss his neck, and the feeling shot straight to his groin. He grew so aroused that it began to ache and feared he might ejaculate prematurely. That would be embarrassing. He's a grown man, not a budding boy. 

"That needs to be taken care of," Nagisa whispered against Rei's lips. 

"I'm sorry,"

"Don't be sorry! Be proud!" Nagisa licked his lips and leaned forward just enough to place his hand on Rei's concealed erection. "It's nothing to be ashamed of." He started to palm Rei through the pants. "Let me show you how good it feels when another touches it."

Nagisa wanted to take Rei into his mouth and taste the man on his tongue, but he thought it would be too much for Rei at this point. He has made it this far with Rei and didn't want to do anything that may cause Rei to run away. Nagisa pushed Rei into a seated position while he continued to rub and stroke Rei's hard cock. He smiled into Rei's shoulder when the other embraced him, delighting in Rei's gentle moans. Nagisa moved his lips to nibble on Rei's earlobe, making the other man shudder again and twitch in his hand. His own cock was aching and begging to be touched, but Nagisa has been trained to hold off on pleasuring himself during these moments. He wanted this to be for Rei, not for him.

There came a knock at the door, and Rei quickly broke away from Nagisa.

"Rei? You in there?" It was Seijuro.

"Ah, yes, Master!" He scrambled to fix his clothing and put his glasses on. His erection disappeared at the sound of Seijuro's voice.  

"Is Nagisa still in there with you?"

Rei turned to look at Nagisa who quickly whispered to him to pretend to be sick. "Yes, he is! My head still hurts," he and Nagisa switched places. Rei pulled the covers over his lower half, and Nagisa stood beside the bed.

"I'm just making him feel better!" Nagisa answered back. He was grateful that the idea of Seijuro chased away his erection. 

"I'm coming in," Seijuro let himself inside and look at the two over by the bed. "Rei, you got a fever? You're all flushed in the face."

"He does!" Nagisa answered for Rei. "I was afraid to leave him because of the fever. He treated himself with potions and stuff, but I thought it would be best if he had a friend here to watch over him."

"Ah, I see. Well, that's kind of you, Nagisa. But I'm afraid I have to call you away now. It's late, you know."

"I guess I lost track of time," Nagisa said.

"Anyway, I want you in my bed tonight," Sejiuro commanded. "The Villa Master has Rin and Haru to keep him entertained so that I can have you."

Nagisa forced a smile. "Of course, Master Seijuro." He turned back to Rei. "I hope you feel better, Rei."

"Thank you."

Nagisa exited the room with Seijuro, though he wanted nothing more than to rush back in and stay with Rei. Just as he is making progress with his relationship, Seijuro comes and ruins it. Rei will view this disturbance as another reason why they shouldn't be together. He felt like crying, but he held it in. Even Seijuro noticed something was bothering him in the middle of sex, and Nagisa had to quickly think of an excuse to keep the general from asking further questions. Nagisa answered that he might have caught whatever Rei has, but that everything is fine and they can continue. Seijuro didn't appear to care if Nagisa was into it or not. Nagisa didn’t care either. He let his mind focus only on Rei, and soon enough, the general finished with him. 

Nagisa asked if he can go back to his room, and Seijuro permitted him. He'll try to escape to Nagisa Land, try to fall asleep, and hope to face all of this tomorrow morning with a brighter outlook. 

* * *

 

"Makoto? Just dropping off fruit for the Villa Master?" Rin asked, and hoped that's all it was.

"Ah, more than that," Makoto said with a smile at Rin. "The Villa Master is feeling a little unwell and requests that I stay by his side tonight. Don’t worry; I promise not to watch," he laughed softly. "It's not something I like to watch anyway."

"Um, Makoto?" Rin cleared his throat and focused on a vase in the room. "I did ask for a slave tonight, as you know,"

"It's Haru, right?"

Rin was surprised by Makoto's answer. "Y-Yeah. The Villa Master assigned Haru to me," He hoped that lie would work.

"It's okay, Rin," Makoto smiled fondly at him. "I'm glad it's you and not some other man. I know you won't hurt Haru. So please, don't let it upset you. In the end, it's up to the Villa Master, so I can't hold you accountable for anything that happens tonight."

'Why don't you stick a knife in my heart and twist it; it'll hurt less.' Rin thought to himself as he gazed upon the ever-trusting smile of one of his best friends. 

"I need to escort the Villa Master here," Makoto said. "I'll return shortly. Is there anything you need before I go?"

'Less guilt,' Rin thought to himself. "No, I'm good. Just uh...tonight...make sure you're...you know."

Makoto smiled "I'll keep my mind focused elsewhere."

Rin watched Makoto leave and let out a heavy sigh. He wished Makoto wasn't so kind-hearted, which is what makes all this harder to bear. Part of him still wants to have Haru; he just didn't think Makoto would be here to watch. 

Rin had been staring out the balcony and didn't hear the Villa Master come in until Makoto announced his presence. Rin turned around and bowed quickly, keeping his eyes downcast until Makoto helped the Villa Master to bed with the mostly sheer curtains concealing him. When Rin looked up next, he saw Haru standing in the doorway with only a blanket around him. The Villa Master ordered Haru to 'take up position', which permitting him at Rin. The Villa Master decided to give Rin the choice how he wants to have Haru. It was a tough decision, mainly because Makoto is there. The easiest way would be to have Haru on his hands and knees, but that will be for Makoto's sake, not his own. 

Rin stared at Haru's naked form when the slave dropped the blanket, seeming to want to move this night along. Rin has seen Haru's naked body before, but only while swimming or bathing; never with the promise of sex. The tanned skin Haru had as a child from being outside so much has faded away while in captivity. Now it's a healthy ivory color. Rin made his decision to take Haru on his back, so the Villa Master ordered it. The Villa Master orders Makoto to set up blankets and pillows, which the taller male did while keeping his eyes downcast. Rin felt a pang of guilt at the sight of Makoto readying the makeshift bed for his lover to be taken by another. 

The Villa Master urged them to move along, ordering Makoto give Rin the lubricant. Haru is already prepared, but Rin is not.

Rin undressed and slicked his erection while Haru settled on the ruby red blankets. Rin watched Haru's eyes follow him as he settled himself between Haru's legs. He thought Haru would look away, but those blue eyes never wavered, even as Rin pressed their erections together. Rin couldn't stand to have Haru silent through this, not because of selfishness, but for the pure want of knowing that Haru is enjoying it. Maybe he should prolong the act, leaving penetration for a little later. He should make Haru's body feel good first, warm those cold blue eyes up a bit, and make that erection grow bigger. 

Makoto wanted to avert his eyes, yet he couldn't tear them away from the heart retching scene in front of him. He thought he would be okay with Rin taking Haru, but now that it's before his very eyes, it upset him. Rin's treating Haru like a lover, with deep, passionate kisses that Haru is responding to. Makoto wanted to rush over there and tear Rin from Haru, but he dare not for fear of being punished. The Villa Master is kind to him, and he didn't want to spoil the healthy relationship he has with the could. 

Makoto tried to imagine it was himself in Rin's place, licking and kissing Haru all over, making Haru hard and aching for him. Was Rin doing this on purpose to hurt him? No, Rin's not like that. Rin doesn't want Haru to feel like a whore, so Rin's treating him like a lover. That's how Makoto intends to treat Haru, and Rin is beating him to it. 

He did turn away when Rin finally started to enter Haru's body. Makoto closed his eyes when he heard the moans, grunts, and groans steadily begin to rise. He would recognize Haru's voice anywhere, in all its forms, and Haru is voicing his pleasure. Makoto thought his heart would burst from his chest and shatter into a million pieces. The sound of their bodies slapping together hurt his ears. He had to keep himself from crying so as not to alert the Villa Master to his feelings. 

The Villa Master ordered Makoto to watch, that he was 'missing the good stuff,' and Makoto had no choice but to obey. He slowly brought his troubled gaze back to the sight of his two friends embraced in the most intimate way two people can be. Makoto felt his face burn with both embarrassment and, strangely enough, jealousy. He was made to watch Rin sink into Haru's body over and over again, wringing every moan and cry from Haru's throat. Makoto clenched his fists on his lap, trying to steady his trembling body. Haru is beautiful while in the throes of passion, only Makoto wished it were him instead of Rin. 

'Please Rin...please, don't finish inside of him.' Makoto said to himself, but it didn't do any good. He watched Rin's back arch and heard the strangled cry of climax. If Rin finishing inside of Haru wasn't painful enough, Haru climaxed a second later. 'It is what it is,' Makoto kept repeating, trying to make himself feel better about the scene he was forced to watch. And then, a little ray of hope arose in his chest, for when Rin tried to kiss Haru one final time, Haru turned his head away.

That was the only little bit of relief Makoto had throughout the whole mounting, and he can see the look of confusion and hurt on Rin's face. When the Villa Master claimed he was growing tried, Makoto couldn't wait to escort Rin out of the room. Haru was still lying on the blankets when Makoto walked Rin to the door. He hoped his smile to Rin read 'goodnight' rather than 'get the hell out.'

"Hey, Makoto," Rin started. "I...uh...instincts, you know?"

"Yes. Instincts. Goodnight Rin." 

* * *

 

Rin knew the moment Makoto slammed the door in his face that the naturally sweet-hearted male was pissed off. Makoto is an open book. With that aside, at least he and Haru got to enjoy being with one another, and it felt great! 

"Satisfied now?"

Rin was surprised to see Sosuke standing by the door. "Sosuke? What are you doing here?"

Sosuke had his spear locked in his crossed arms. "I escorted Haru here, and I have to escort him back. It sounds like you were having a lot of fun of there."

"Instincts," Rin answered. 

"Yeah. Okay." Sosuke let out a sigh. "You're wasting your time with Haru. Slaves and soldiers can't be together or have a proper relationship."

"Says you," Rin started to walk away from Sosuke when he paused in his steps and turned to face the other. "A relationship between a captain and his subordinates are equally forbidden, if not more so."  He didn't wait to see or hear Sosuke's reaction to that.

* * *

 

Nagisa walked into the slave's quarters with a minor limp after the wild session of fucking with Seijuro. His body wasn't properly prepared for the first round, but Seijuro made sure it was for the next two. It's nothing he hasn't endured before, and by morning it will pass. Nagisa had lost what time of the evening it is. 

On the way to his room, he passed Haru's and saw that his friend is still awake and sitting on the bed. Nagisa walked into Haru's room and, very slowly, took a seat beside him. 

"What are you still doing up?"

"I was Rin's 'prize' for him winning at the games today."

Nagisa gasped. "Rin's prize? You mean you two," Nagisa trailed off at Haru's nod. "Did he hurt you?"

"No. Rin didn't hurt me," Haru answered. "But Makoto was there...tending to the Villa Master...and he saw it all."

Nagisa rubbed soothing circles on Haru's naked back. "Oh, Haru...is Makoto upset?"

"He tried not to show it...but he was devastated. I could tell...and it's all my fault."

"How is it your fault? You didn't ask to be with Rin! It was an order you had to follow."

"Yes, but I liked being with Rin. Physically."

"Oh. Oh, I see," Nagisa cleared his throat. "Well, that's because Rin is a friend and not a stranger, and I'm sure Rin did all that he could to make you feel good." Haru nodded. "Poor Makoto, though. Does this mean you don't like Makoto in that way anymore?"

Haru flashed him a sharp glare. "I don't want to talk about this."

"But Haru, they both like you a lot! Who do you like more? Rin or Makoto?"

Haru slumped his shoulders and answered, "Makoto."

"Then just explain to Makoto that you were just relaxed to be with a friend, that's all. Makoto is very understanding."

"Yes, he is understanding," Haru reiterated. "He forgives easily, but he never forgets."

Nagisa wrapped his arms around Haru's neck and kissed his cheek. "You'll figure it out. At least you got to be with someone you care about," Nagisa rests his forehead on Haru's shoulder. "I was taken from Rei to be with Seijuro. I don't care for Seijuro in the slightest."

"You like Rei a lot, don't you?"

"Mmhm." 

"We're slaves, Nagisa. You, me, Makoto, and Rei. We...we can't be together. Not for real." 

"But our hearts can be,"

"Now you sound like Makoto."

Nagisa chuckled and kissed Haru's cheek again. "I'm still trying to win over Rei's heart...and you somehow managed to capture two hearts at the same time."

"I don't ask for it," Haru replied. "I would gladly give that power over to you."

"And I would take it."

"Hey," A new voice joined them, and they turned to see Momo holding two bowls. "I thought you guys would be hungry. There was some left over. It's a bit cold now, but, you know."

Nagisa thanked Momo and took his bowl. Momo held the other bowl out to Haru, but he refused it. "Haru, you have to eat," Nagisa urged him. "Don't starve yourself like this. You need food to think properly."

Haru thought for a second, then silently took the bowl from Momo. Nagisa gave Haru a proud pat on the back.

"Oh, Nagisa, I did what you said," Momo started. "I gave Aii something other than a stag beetle! I gave him a peach from the garden, and he liked it!" 

Nagisa congratulated Momo with a mouth full of cold stew.  

"I think I'll get him an apple next time," Momo said.

"Good thinking." Nagisa gave his friend a thumbs up. 

"Well, I should get back on patrol. Get some rest. It's round two of the games tomorrow."

"How many rounds are there?" Nagisa asked between spoonfuls.

"Four. The last day leads up to the Festival of the Red Moons. I hope Aii will choose me as a mate for the night..."

"Choose mates? What do you mean?" Nagisa asked.

"Oh, I guess people celebrate the Red Moons differently, but here, everyone gets to pick one mate to be with for the 'mating frenzy.'"

Nagisa's smile brightened. He will pick Rei to be his mate!

"Don't get too excited, though," Momo said. "Slaves are not allowed to pick or consent who chooses them to be a mate."

Nagisa's smile fell. "But...you just said you hoped that Aii picks you to be a mate. Aii is a slave!"

"He's the Head Slave. He gets a say among soldiers, but not generals, captains, or villa masters. Makoto is pretty much the same, but someone would need special permission from the Villa Master to have Makoto for the night. Slaves can be with other slaves, but if someone of higher status steps in, that's it."

Nagisa had a sinking feeling that there will be no way he can be alone with Rei on that night without someone like Seijuro butting in. With the way the general has been acting around him, Nagisa worried that Seijuro might petition the Villa Master to hand him over. Nagisa would then be Seijuro's personal slave. There had to be a way around this. He wanted no one other than Rei for the Red Moon mating, but how can he get Seijuro out of the way? He supposed his only hope is to speak to the Villa Master and see if they can work something out. If he gets the Villa Master's permission, then there wouldn't be anything to worry about. 

Nagisa didn't know Momo had left when Haru's voice broke his concentration.

"What are you scheming?" Haru asked.

"Nothing."

"When you think that hard and are that focused, you're not in Nagisa Land." 

He leaned into Haru and whispered, "I need to have Rei as my mate during the Red Moons."

"Why are you whispering?" Haru whispered back.

"I don't want anyone to hear. If you want Makoto on that night too, then you have to work with me."

Haru raised a brow. "I already don't like where this is going. Makoto might not even like me anymore."

"Oh, that's nonsense," Nagisa said. "Anyway," he reverted to whispering. "If we play the Villa Master right, we can get him to give us Rei and Makoto! All we need is the Villa Master's word!"

"I suppose you want us to love and pamper him?" 

"That's what he likes! I'll do all the heavy workload with him while you keep a little smile, keep the wine poured, and keep the calming flower puffing. Okay?"

"I don't think I have much of a choice."

Nagisa kissed Haru's temple. "You'll talk to Makoto tomorrow and work everything out." He let out a loud yawn. "Well, I'm off to bed. Need some rest. You do the same."

"Good night, Nagisa."

"Good night, Haru."

* * *

 

The next morning, Haru arose from his bed early, not having gotten much sleep. He would take Nagisa's advice and seek Makoto to straighten everything out. Haru hoped he wouldn't run into Rin. He dressed quickly and left the slave's quarters with intentions of going to the Villa Master's chambers where Makoto will be. But a spear fell out in front of him, blocking his path, and pausing him in his steps. He followed the length of the spear to its owner. The guard named Sosuke stood towering over him, glaring with cold teal eyes.

"What does he see in you?" Sosuke asked. 

"Who?"

"Rin! And address me properly, slave!"

Haru wanted to roll his eyes, but he kept his gaze steady on Sosuke. "Forgive me, sir. I was only following orders."

"Oh, it's more than that. I escorted you to and from that room, and I stood outside the door and heard everything that went on."

"May I ask what you want with me, sir?"

"I want you to stay away from Rin. Ever since you came here, he's different! I won't let a slave like you ruin his career by toying with his heart!"

"I'll let Rin know your feelings,"

"Say nothing of our meeting. I mean it." Sosuke warned him.

"I only do what I'm told, sir."

Haru proceeded to walk away when Sosuke finally lifted the spear only for it to be met with his ankle, tripping him. Haru stumbled to the floor, took a moment to understand what just happened, and looked over at Sosuke. The guard already had walked away. Haru grunted to himself and stood back up, dusting off his harem pants. One thing is for sure, Sosuke has heavy feelings for Rin. Sosuke's emotions are a topic and an issue he will revisit after he has first spoken with Makoto. 

When he arrived at the Villa Master's chambers, two guards stood at either side of the door. They crossed their spears in front of the door.

"What do you want, slave?" Asked the first one.

"Good morning, sirs. Is the slave Makoto in there?"

"Yes," Answered the second guard. "We'll let him know you were here. Begone."

"This is one of the Villa Master's lotus. We have to let the Villa Master know he's here."

"Fine. Wait here." The one guard knocked then entered the chamber.

Haru waited patiently for the guard to return, giving him permission to go inside. Haru didn't thank the guards as he entered the main room and walked to stand in the center. The main room is empty, which meant that the Villa Master must be in his office or the bathing room. Haru turned at the sound of a door opening to see Makoto coming out of the bathing room holding a basket of white linens. Their eyes caught for a moment, and then Makoto quickly averted his to the basket.

"Good morning, Haru." Makoto greeted softly.

"Makoto...about last night-"

"It's okay, Haru. You don't have to say anything."

"It's not okay. I know when you're upset, and those circles under your eyes are further proof."

Makoto managed to lift his gaze again to look at Haru. "Were you truly just acting last night with Rin?"

It was Haru's turn to look away. "It started that way, but...I did enjoy it."

"I see."

"Only because it was the first time I've been with someone I know and not a stranger," He turned back to face Makoto. "And Rin treated my body differently than others have in the past. I was surprised myself." He waited for a response, but Makoto said nothing. "I warned you this wouldn't work. My job is not something you can handle."

"You're wrong, Haru," Makoto put the basket of laundry down and walked over to stand before Haru. "All those strangers don't bother me. But...seeing Rin with you last night...I'm...I'm...jealous!" Makoto clenched his fists at his sides. "I don’t want to share you with Rin, but he's of higher status than me, and he can have you whenever he wants!"

"So can other men," Haru pointed out.

"But they aren't my friends! Rin is my friend, and it's different now!"

Haru saw the tears welling up in Makoto's green eyes. "How is it different?"

Makoto blushed and his brows furrowed. "Rin got to...have you before I could."

Haru has never witnessed Makoto jealous or possessive before, and at the moment it baffled him. Makoto was always the paste that held their group together, even when they would fight. Haru and Rin would argue about mundane things, and Makoto would always be the voice of reason. Makoto, he feared, would act out on his emotions and perhaps confront Rin, which Haru hoped he wouldn't. He didn't worry about Rin punishing or imprisoning Makoto, but it will cause an issue within the villa to see a slave and a captain arguing. Approaching Rin about last night will have to wait as well. Haru's top priority right now is to reassure Makoto that he had nothing to worry about with Rin. 

"Go ask the Villa Master if I can stay with you tonight," Haru said.

"W-what?"

"We should have our own night together. Just us. Go ask the Villa Master if I can stay. With his word, no one can take me away tonight." The smile is back on Makoto's flushing face and those green eyes lit up like city lanterns.

"You really mean it, Haru? Then I'll go ask him right now! Wait here!"

Haru ran a hand through his dark hair and hoped he wasn't making a huge mistake. The last thing he wanted to do is cause strife between Rin and Makoto. Makoto will be easier to talk to, and Haru can manipulate Makoto's feelings with the proper construction of words. In fact, both Makoto and Nagisa are easily manipulated and twice as gullible. Makoto could be talked into buying a broken bridge, and Nagisa would return from an errand with magic beans or snake oils. 

"He said yes!" Makoto rushed over and took Haru's hands in his own. "Once he's settled in bed, the Villa Master said I can have the whole night off with just you in my bed! I'll make sure we have something special for tonight! Let me think about it."

"Alright."

Makoto kissed Haru's cheek. "I really should return to work. The Villa Master will be done soon."

"I'm to pick grapes today," Haru said. "Speaking of, I should get Nagisa up. He has to do the same."

"Isn't it nice not to have to go to the games?" Makoto stated as he picked up the basket of linens. "Rin and Sejirou are going today."

'I should let Nagisa know.' Haru thought. "I'll see you tonight."

Makoto blushed and gave a bashful smile. "See you tonight, Haru."

** TBC **


	7. The Lure of the Cobra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Thanks for the support everyone! I know this chapter is a little late and I apologize.  
> ***Heavy smut scene between Makoto and Haru in this chapter with another sultry Rei and Nagisa dance.

**Chapter 7: The Lure of the Cobra**

Nagisa became lost in his own little world amongst the vineyard, humming merrily while picking grapes. Last night, he had a sultry dream about Rei, and when he woke up, he was feeling happier than ever. He didn't have Rei's heart yet, but Nagisa is getting closer to winning over the man he desires. Nothing would bother him today! He ignored the stares and looks of confusion on other's faces at his merry antics. Even the guards who yelled at him to cease, Nagisa would smile and greet them before skipping off. 

Hopefully tonight he will have another chance to be with Rei. Haru will be spending the night with Makoto, so Nagisa couldn't ask his friend to skip out on that to swoon the Villa Master for him. They will have time to do that tomorrow. Seijuro will be away at the games, as will Rin, so both he and Haru won't have to worry about being called away. 

'Everything is going to work out just fine,' Nagisa said to himself. His ears picked up on the sound of hoofbeats on the road with someone calling out his name. Gripping his basket, Nagisa rushed through the vineyards to the road where he saw two guards on horseback ride up to him. 

"You are summoned to the Villa Master at once!" Said the first guard.

"Is anything wrong?" Nagisa asked.

"The Villa Master has guests," Said the other. "They arrived unexpectedly, and you and the Sword Dancer are called on to perform."

'I get to dance with Rei?' Nagisa dropped the basket and let the second guard pull him up onto the horse. "We can't keep the Villa Master waiting!" As they rode back to the villa, Nagisa knew exactly which dance he wanted to perform with Rei, so long as the Villa Master allows it. They'll perform The Lure of the Cobra, and with his skills, he'll charm himself straight into Rei's heart. 

* * *

"I'm not so sure about this dance," Rei said to Makoto. "Nagisa taught me some of it last night, but I don't think I'm ready to perform the whole thing just yet. Why did Nagisa even choose this dance of all the dances? The one I don't know well enough." Rei sighed.

"Rei, you're a magnificent dancer," Makoto assured him. "I know this dance; I've seen it before. For the best results, mimic what Nagisa does," 

"But, I'm the Snake Charmer. I have an entirely different role." 

Makoto clasped his hands on Rei's shoulders. "Rei, there are two different endings to that dance. One, the Snake Charmer wins. The other, the Snake wins. This dance leans to the more erotic side of art."

"I'm well aware of the erotic part," Rei flushed. 

Makoto chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll do fine."

"Drown out the crowd," Another voice joined them and they turned to see Haru who had come back from helping Nagisa dress. "Focus only on Nagisa and let your body lead for you."

"I'm not sure if I can," Rei said to him.

"I assure you, so long as you follow Nagisa's lead in this dance, you won't falter," Haru said. "Nagisa will do the work of enchanting the crowd for you."

Rei heard his title summoned from the main feasting hall. "I have to go. I'll try to do as you suggested, Haru." Rei left the two alone.

Haru stood next to Makoto and crossed his arms. "I tried to talk Nagisa out of this dance, but he is standing firm on his decision."

Makoto smiled down at Haru. "Nagisa's always been the sneaky one of our group!" He said with a laugh.

"He's taking a gamble with trying to enchant Rei with this dance. Nagisa is a remarkable dancer on any given day, but when it comes to a dance of pure seduction and lust; he's mightier than a sultan."

"Do you think Nagisa will attract the attention of many others?"

Haru nodded. "Regardless of all of this, Nagisa can still have Rei, but he'll never be free of his life as a pleasure slave," Haru glanced up at Makoto. "Nor will I." 

"It's a fate you and Nagisa both share," Makoto said. "Rei and I will just have to tolerate it."

* * *

 

Rei barely noticed the crowd when Nagisa joined him on the open floor. Rei stared at Nagisa’s decorated form; all golden coins and bells with only a sarong barely covering his nether region. Each limb adorned a band or belt of tiny gold bells, while his waist and head consisted of netted coins. The only other article of clothing beside the sarong is the dancing sash, and Nagisa chose gold. To Rei, Nagisa looked like a hidden treasure from deep within a temple. At that very moment, Rei realized that he wanted Nagisa, and the golden treasure standing before him wanted him in return.

The music began, a series of sitars and flutes, which immediately made Rei think of snakes. After all, this is the Lure of the Cobra. Nagisa started off with sultry, snake-like movements that made each little piece of gold jingle in a high hypnotic tone. Rei almost missed his cue to begin. As Nagisa danced towards him, Rei mirrored the moves, moving backward, as he was trying to ‘avoid’ the cobra. For a moment, he wished he had his sword because there are a few moves of his own he would have liked to add. Nagisa’s flexible body gyrated and bent like the cobra he is mimicking, and Rei felt his blood begin to pump with the need to have him. He let himself dance close enough to Nagisa to reach out and snatch the smaller man, pulling Nagisa into a lifted swing. He heard the surprised gasp of the audience since this sudden action is not part of the true dance. Rei just wanted Nagisa in his arms. 

Nagisa knew once Rei had grabbed him that his plan of seduction has worked. He smiled at Rei when he was swung, two to three times before being placed back on his feet. Rei stepped to dance away from him, but Nagisa wasn’t ready to let go of Rei just yet. When he got close, he used the gold sash to wrap behind Rei’s neck, securing the cloth in his grip. Rei went right along with it, letting Nagisa dance him across the floor. Nagisa reeled in the sash so that Rei was pressed up against him again. He didn’t care about the crowd watching them, only being with Rei, and he wanted to further awaken the desires hidden inside the uptight man. Nagisa rubbed and gyrated his body in a circle around Rei until the other pulled him into a sensual embrace. 

The music is nearing the end, and Nagisa whispered, 'Let me win' into Rei's ear. Rei did as Nagisa commanded, moving out of the embrace to fall onto the floor, landing on his back. Rei wasn't quite sure what Nagisa planned to do as the other joined him on the floor. He lifted himself onto his elbows, completely transfixed on Nagisa's near naked body slowly sliding up the length of his; just like a snake. Rei couldn't tear his eyes from Nagisa, even as the sultry male reached his bare shoulder; and bit down. It wasn't a hard bite, but Rei did let out a little gasp, but more at the feel of Nagisa's groin against his own. The music stopped just as Nagisa had sat up to straddle Rei's lap. The snake has won, and there is a round of rapid applause. 

They continued to stare at one another until the clapping ceased and Makoto came over to get Nagisa. Nagisa wanted to spend more time with Rei, but Makoto said that the Villa Master wants to see him. No doubt it has to do with the dance. Nagisa forced himself from Rei’s lap to go to the Villa Master. He kept looking back at Rei, who was still lying on the floor looking back at him.

A short while later, both Nagisa and Aii were sent to the bathing chambers with the Villa Master who wanted a good long soak in the hot water. Nagisa wondered why it's him and Aii doing this rather than Makoto. Then, he remembered the special night Makoto was granted with Haru by the Villa Master. Nagisa smiled at that. He didn’t mind taking care of the Villa Master so that Makoto can spend some private time with Haru. Although, Nagisa would rather be with Rei right now than the Villa Master. 

When Makoto brought the Villa Master to the bathing chambers and helped the old man into the tub, Nagisa caught Makoto’s eyes and winked. Makoto smiled and flushed, having to look away as he hurried to the door. Nagisa called after Makoto to wait and left Aii to get started with the Villa Master. 

“Makoto, hold up!” Nagisa gripped Makoto’s wrist in his hands. “I want to tell you something secret for your special night!”

“Secret? Like what?”

Nagisa beckoned Makoto downward to whisper, “Haru’s melting spot is right behind his ears,”

Makoto turned dark red. “O-Okay,” Makoto tried to pull away but Nagisa held him fast.

“Blow on the spot first, very lightly, then kisses, a little nibble, blow again, and you’ll be in for a big surprise.”

Makoto slowly turned to face Nagisa, almost touching noses. “What’s the surprise?”

Nagisa grinned. “I don’t want to spoil it for you!” He kissed Makoto’s cheek. “Haru wants you, too. He’ll try to rush you through it but insist on taking your time.”

“I didn’t plan it any other way,”

“Good. And don’t let him bully you into stopping either. Stand up to Haru and make him feel good all over.”

“Nagisa…this is embarrassing to talk about!” Makoto whined. 

“Just giving you some pointers! Good luck and have fun!” Nagisa couldn’t help but swat Makoto’s rump as the other man left. 

* * *

Haru held Makoto's hand as they arrived at Makoto's door. Haru stopped in front of the door, holding Makoto back when the other tried to open it. Makoto asked him what's wrong, but Haru didn't answer, he just looked at Makoto. 

"Are you having second thoughts?" Makoto asked.

"No, but I'm not sure about this, either,"

"Nothing...has to happen tonight if you don't want it to," Makoto suggested softly. "We can just spend time together without having to worry about anything." 

"I want to...it's just,"

"Just what?"

"Nothing." Haru looked down at his bare feet. 

Makoto smiled and took matters into his own hands. Without warning Haru, he scooped the smaller man up in his arms, enjoying the startled yet silent look on Haru's face. He managed to open his chamber door to carry Haru inside and then used his foot to close it. Makoto wanted Haru to see the special setup he created for their first night alone together.

"Well? What do you think?"

Haru looked around the tiny room that is dark save for the open window with the light of the moons shining through. On Makoto's bed is a tray of fruit; grapes and dates. On the bedside table is a jug of what is probably wine and two ceramic cups. He was speechless.

"I know it's not much...but it's all I could do. This night is about us, so I wanted it to have something special." He carried Haru over to the bed. "Do you not like it?"

"I've never had anyone do this for me," Haru answered. He's been to banquets and spent time with clients surrounded by all sorts of food and drink, but this tiny display affected him on a deeper level. 

Makoto put him down. "Let me pour us some wine," He handed Haru the filled cup and said, "To us; and this night."

Haru tapped his cup with Makoto's and they both took a sip. He didn't care much for wine, but for some reason, it tasted much better than he was used to. 

"Here, sit down," Makoto lifted the tray from the bed so Haru could sit upon it. Makoto sat beside him, balancing the tray of fruit in his lap. He plucked a grape and held it to Haru's lips. Haru hesitated, but then he ate the grape, taking the tips of Makoto's fingers in his mouth as he did. Makoto felt himself flush. "Aren't the moons bright tonight?" He motioned for Haru to look out the window. "They're starting to turn pink. Almost time for the festival. I like to keep the window open when I sleep because the moonlight shines on the bed like this and it feels..." Makoto tried to find the right word, but he was becoming all giddy and anxious. 

"Magical," Haru answered for him.

Makoto smiled. "Ah, yes. Magical," He looked at Haru and said, "You're beautiful." Makoto swallowed hard at the sight of the moonlight shining on Haru's pale skin, almost giving the lithe man an unearthly glow. 

Haru's heard that word a thousand times in his life as a pleasure slave but never has there been any reaction behind it. When Makoto said it to him, Haru felt his heart start to beat a little faster because Makoto honestly meant it. There was silence between them, and it made Haru uneasy, so he plucked a grape and held it to Makoto's lips, the same as before. Makoto lightly nipped at his fingertips, an action that Haru has always hated yet now enjoyed. It seems everything Makoto does is different from other clients. But Makoto is not a client no matter how much Haru wished it. Things would just be easier and less complicated if Makoto were just another man passing through his bed in the night.

Makoto meant it when he said they didn't have to do anything other than talk, which they did for a long while, drinking and eating. Haru couldn't remember the last time he was tipsy from wine, preferring the calming flower smoke over the red drink. His body felt warm and his doubts began to fade away. Makoto's face was flushed with wine as well, and Haru found it adorable how giggly and giddy Makoto is when buzzed. 

They had finished the grapes and the wine, which left them in silence once again. Neither of them moved while sitting side-by-side on the bed, each looking the opposite way. It was Makoto who spoke first.

"Haru? Would you...like me to walk you back to your room now?"

"No,"

They both turned to look at each other.

"Really?"

Haru assured him with a kiss. 

What Haru didn't expect is the sudden sexual energy Makoto expressed after the kiss. That aura transferred to him and Haru found himself returning the kiss with equal dominance. Makoto's hands traveled all along his body, leaving no spot untouched. Haru stilled when Makoto's lips found the little spot behind his ear. The tip of Makoto's tongue tickled that little spot, sending a wave of pleasure down Haru's body to settle in his groin. Makoto nipped, then he sucked, and finally, a gentle blow to the sensitive spot had Haru letting out a cry as he came. His sudden ejaculation had Makoto pulling away to look down at the wet spot in the front of the harem pants, and the 'tent' that is still there. 

"How the hell did you know that?" Haru felt his face burning red. "Nagisa told you, didn't he?" 

"He may have mentioned it," Makoto answered. 

Haru made a mental note to confront Nagisa about it. That was a secret only Nagisa knew about him from their times performing together. He really shouldn't be mad at Nagisa because at least it was Makoto he told rather than a stranger. Still, Haru would have preferred if Nagisa asked him first.

"Are you mad, Haru?" 

"No,"

"There's no need to be embarrassed," Makoto said as he let his hand slide inside the front of Haru's harem pants to feel the still hard and wet erection of his lover. He heard Haru gasp. "It's just us here," he said against Haru's lips before bringing them into a gentle kiss. 

"Nagisa's in a lot of trouble," Haru said after the kiss, making Makoto chuckle. 

"I probably would have found out on my own anyway," Makoto said while helping Haru out of the harem pants. "Because I plan to kiss each and every spot on you."

Haru let Makoto undress him, choosing not to point out how Makoto blushed when he said the last sentence. Makoto said he has been in both positions, top, and bottom, though right now he is acting like a virgin. Where did all that sexual passion go from before? Haru felt himself crack a smile. He would have to take the lead with Makoto for awhile.

When Haru was naked, it was his turn to undress Makoto. Haru pushed the cloth turban from  Makoto's head to reveal more of that olive-colored hair. Makoto's body trembled as Haru unwrapped and removed the three layers of slave clothing. Makoto has always been the biggest one in the group, and it still holds true to this moment. For a slave whose job it is to care for an elderly man, he had hard muscles and a strong build. Haru let his hands explore Makoto's broad chest and shoulders, marveling at the strength beneath them. Makoto has the size and strength to be a soldier, but such a career is not in the gentle man's nature. He briefly envisioned Makoto as a loyal and sturdy plow horse. 

"You've gotten...bigger," Haru stated.

"I did a lot of labor before the Villa Master took me on as a groom."

"I see," Haru let his hands travel to the hard muscle of Makoto's thighs while taking in the sight of his lover's arousal. Lover? Did he just say that word? Haru glanced up to catch Makoto's flushed gaze, and he blushed back. They aren't strangers to this, so why were they acting like virgins? 

"Lie down, Haru," Makoto said, shifting on the narrow bed to allow Haru to lie back. He took in the length and sight of Haru's body, lean muscles lightly shadowed by the glow of the moons. Blue eyes gaze back him. Finally, after all this time, he has Haru naked in his bed. They are going to make love and he will win Haru's heart. "May I?" 

Haru gave his answer by spreading his legs and welcoming Makoto's larger form between them. They started off with kissing, both becoming familiar with the other's body before moving on. Makoto kissed Haru's chin and neck, sneaking his lips up to that sensitive spot behind Haru's ear. He felt Haru tense against him, so Makoto left it alone with just a kiss before making his way down to tight, hard nipples. Makoto's watched this act many times, so he had a good idea of what to do to make Haru feel good. Even though this is their night together, he wanted to make it more about Haru than himself; and without warning, he took the tip of Haru's erection into his mouth.

Haru arched his back with a gasp when he felt Makoto's hot mouth around his cock. Normally he hated whenever a client did this to him, and he hated giving it even more. But Makoto isn't a client; he kept telling himself, and he didn't mind that it's Makoto sucking him off. Makoto wasn't very skilled at it, but to Haru, it still felt good. He reached down to stroke Makoto's hair, saying he doesn't have to try to deep throat him.

Makoto pulled his mouth away and asked, "Is this okay?"

"Yes," Haru pushed Makoto's head back down for the man to continue, if just for a little bit longer. Makoto's mouth on him was nice. 

Makoto, pleased that he is giving Haru pleasure, brought his free hand to Haru's entrance. He was ready to prepare Haru for their coupling but stopped when he noticed that Haru is already stretched. Makoto took his mouth from Haru's cock and looked up at him. Haru's face turned an angry bright red though he said nothing. Makoto grinned. Haru didn't have to say anything! His lover had planned to make love tonight. Makoto's heart was so happy it could burst. He had to embrace Haru, whispering how much he loved him, and kiss the sensitive spots behind the ears. 

"You're taking too long," Haru breathed against Makoto's neck while reaching between them to guide the other's hard erection to his entrance.

"I want this to be special," Makoto whined.

"It is special," Haru replied, feeling the tip pressed against him. "But I want you. Now." He's never said those words by choice, and at this moment he meant them. He also didn't expect Makoto to slide in so fast, ringing a cry from his throat. 

Makoto turned bright red and he refused to look at Haru. "S-sorry...you said those words and..." It was hard for him to concentrate on words while Haru's heat surrounded him. 

"It's alright," Haru assured him, quickly adjusting his body to Makoto's size.

Makoto threaded their fingers together, pressing Haru's hands against the mattress. "I love you, Haru," He started with slow, gentle thrusts. He wanted to experience as much of Haru as he could and make it enjoyable for the other. Makoto will not be like the other clients or Rin; he had made that vow and intended to keep it. 

With how fast Makoto pushed in, Haru prepared himself for the usual rapid thrusting he is used to. Instead, Makoto was taking it slow; pulling out a little and pressing back in. 'What are you trying to do?' Haru thought to himself. 'Don't do it...don't make me-' He trailed off when he heard Makoto say to look at him. Haru opened his eyes to see heavy-lidded green ones clouded over with lust. Makoto is holding back, for him. 

"Move faster," Haru said to him. "It's fine." 

'Don't let him rush you,' Nagisa's words echoed in Makoto's head. 

Makoto ignored Haru's words, choosing to bring the other into a kiss while gradually increasing the rhythm of his thrusts. Haru moaned beneath him, arching narrow hips in an attempt to get him to move quicker. 

"Why won't you-"

"I won't," Makoto cut him off, knowing what Haru is attempting to say. His lover was flushed in the face and Makoto saw the usual stoic blue eyes begin to sparkle with unshed tears. Makoto understood it, now. Haru wasn't in pain or didn't want to be with him; Haru's afraid. He's afraid of being loved and feeling true pleasure with another person. "No more words," Makoto whispered to him. "Only your moans." 

'Damn you,' 

Haru realized that there is no way he is escaping Makoto's presence- the man chooses to be stubborn for the first time in his life at this moment. It couldn't be helped. Haru knew he will regret this after it's over, but surrendered to Makoto's touches by embracing the larger man and bringing Makoto into a passionate kiss of his own. With the change in positions, Makoto started to thrust a little faster. Haru can feel every inch of Makoto moving in him, and he wasn't repulsed. Like Rin, Makoto is not focused on his own pleasure, and Haru had to mentally curse both of them for making him feel this way.

Haru cried out and arched his chest into Makoto's when his sweet spot was struck dead on. His moan had Makoto speeding up, thrusting harder into him and finding that spot each time. Haru tried to keep silent but couldn't. He let Makoto love his body with deeper thrusts, clawing and gripping at the strong back to keep from being pushed forward. He gasped for more, and Makoto kept up the steady pace that had all pleasure begin to build up in his lower belly. Haru's never cried out when he's orgasmed, but this time he didn't hold back. The pressure became too much, and with a strangled cry he came hard between them. 

Makoto groaned as Haru's inside's clenched around him with the climax. He was nearing his end, too. He suddenly thought back to the night when Rin had Haru, how he begged the redhead not to cum inside of Haru. He didn’t know why he thought it, but it suddenly brought back those feelings of jealousy he thought he had repressed. Rin got to Haru before he did. Makoto buried his face in Haru's neck, gritting his teeth as he used the last amount of strength he had to thrust hard and deep inside Haru, making the other cry out with a high pitched tone. He placed his hands on Haru's shoulders to hold the other in place before he ejaculated inside of him, pushing in as deep as he could go. The orgasm was amazing, and Makoto could feel himself pooling inside of Haru's body. He even bit down on Haru's neck, hearing the other hiss in pain as he tried to ride out his climax, but he was empty. He collapsed on top of Haru, panting heavily, still locked away inside of him. 

Haru was coming down from his own pleasure high, relishing in the feeling of the afterglow, until Makoto's form proved to be much too heavy. 

"You're heavy," Haru said. 

"Sorry." Makoto propped himself onto his elbows. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," 

Makoto pulled out of Haru and positioned them to lay comfortably next to each other in the small bed, which meant Haru will mostly have to sleep on top of him. Makoto wasn't bothered by that all. He held Haru in his arms.

"I was rough at the end, wasn't I? I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Haru replied. "You did bite me, though. What was that about?"

Makoto looked up at the ceiling, feeling a wave of shame wash over him. "I wanted to give you something that Rin didn't."

"Rin?"

"Yes. I feel terrible about it now, but I can't lie to you, Haru. I was so jealous of Rin...for having you first. He made you feel this way before I could...and it made me want to...to put a mark on you to prove that..." Makoto trailed off.

Haru looked up at him. "Prove what?" 'I know what you're going to say.'

"I'm so selfish when it comes to you..." Makoto clenched his eyes. "I want everyone to know you're mine."

Haru was surprised at the change of character in his longtime friend. Makoto really did feel love for him. No, Makoto is in love with him, and Haru knew he felt the same way, but didn't know how to express it.

"You're not selfish, Makoto. And you didn't do anything wrong." Haru paused for a moment and then said, "Thank you for tonight...and I want us to have more nights like this." 

Makoto brought him into a crushing hug. "Oh, Haru! I feel the same! I love you so much! I'll do anything and everything that I can to ensure we have more nights like this to spend together!"

Haru thought he was going to pop with Makoto's bear-like hug, which may just be stronger than Nagisa's. "Can't...breathe!" 

"Sorry!" Makoto eases his hold, burying his nose into Haru's hair. "Promise to stay with me all night? Please?"

"Yes, I will." 

"I'll hold you until you fall asleep."

Haru stared out the small window at the twin moons looking back at him from his place in Makoto’s bed never to his sleeping friend. Or lover? Having a lover is dangerous in this life, but after their session, he couldn’t keep calling Makoto a friend. There is something more now between them; something deeper than friendship. Haru can’t ignore it, and he knows Makoto felt it, too. And the pleasure. Haru didn’t know being with someone can feel like that. He’s heard of it but always dismissed it as fairytales. It was good with Rin, too; but better with  Makoto. Makoto had been so tender, so gentle while worshipping his body like it was precious and sacred. Haru knew his body is anything but that, and still, Makoto viewed him as a treasure.

“What are you thinking so hard about?” Makoto asked, now awake. “Your thinking woke me up.”

“I’m not thinking.”

Makoto smiled, his eyes still closed. “Yes, you are. And you’re worrying.” 

“I’m not worrying either.”

Makoto sighed and kissed the top of Haru’s head. “I’m happy being with you, Haru. Are you not happy being with me?”

“That’s not it,” ‘I want to be with you too much.’ Haru said to himself. 

“Then what is it?

Haru remained silent for a moment and then said, “You’re going to make my job harder,”

“Hm? Why?”

It was Haru’s turn to sigh. It’s true that Makoto can tell what he is feeling and thinking, although the man was never very sharp-witted. Haru didn’t want to come right out and say it, but Makoto wasn’t inferring. 

“Now I don’t want to be with anybody else. And I don’t have the choice in the matter.”

Makoto sat them both up in the bed. “Can you think of me when you’re with other men? Will that help you?”

“No, because…” Haru felt the color in his cheeks. Makoto brought him into a hug.

“I love you so much, Haru! I’m so relieved that you love me back!”

Haru, though he did love Makoto, did not feel as joyous. Now that he has experienced being with someone he cares about, and who returns those feelings, how can he lay properly with clients? It’s always been an act, but how will he feel the next time he is forced to be with another man? He can never belong to Makoto because Makoto is a slave. If Makoto had Rin’s status as a captain, it would easier for Makoto to lay a claim. 

“We’ll figure something out, Haru. I’ll talk to the Villa Master.”

“No, don’t say anything to the Villa Master,” Haru said. 

"Why not?" 

"He may not like it. I know he favors you above most, but I am still his lotus. I don't want him turning on you out of jealousy, or feeling threatened by you. I don't want something bad to happen."

Makoto smiled. "Nothing bad will happen, Haru. I promise you. The Villa Master is a very understanding man."

"Just...not yet, okay?" Haru said. "Let's give it a little time."

"But the festival is nearly here,"

"Makoto," Haru lowered his voice to a warning tone, which Makoto obeyed.

"Okay, Haru. I won't say anything." He smiled and held out his arms. "Come back to bed."

Haru settled back in Makoto's arms. He stayed awake for a long while listening to Makoto's steady heartbeat under his ear. The rhythm eventually put him to sleep, and Haru decided that the will figure everything out in the morning.

** TBC **


End file.
